DAVID HUME Flashcards
Scottish philosopher, economist and historian During the age of enlightenent
David Hume
fierce opponent of Descartes’ Rationalism
Hume
What is Rationalism
The theory that rather than reason, the experience is the foundation of all knowledge
one of the three main figurehead of the british empiricism
John Locke ( And also bishop George Berkeley)
what is empiricism?
The idea that the origin of all knowledge is sense experience
It emphasized the role of experience and evidence ( especially sensory innate ideas) in forming concepts while discounting the notion of innate ideas
Bundle theory
described the self/ person as a bundle or a collection of different perceptions that are moving in a very fast successive manner , therefore it is in perpetual flux.
the self is made of? (Hume)
Successive impressions
impressions
these are the perceptions that are mostly strong.
enter senses with the most force
directly experienced
from inward or outward sentiments
ideas
less forcible and less lively counterparts of impressions
mechanism that copy and reproduce sense data formulated based upon the previously perceived impressions.
Hume’s notion of the self
the self could be verified through observation
- What you know are mere objects of what your sense is experiencing.
What is self (Hume)
self was nothing but a series of incoherent impressions received by the senses
- it is not just one impression but a mix and a loose cohesion of various personal experiences
What did he compared the self to.? (Hume)
to a nation
why do hume did not believe the existence of the ‘Self”
- perceptions are only active as long as you are conscious - if your perceptions are removed (Sleeping) you can no longer sense yourself the you also cease to exist
Self is a lightbulb
According to hume, it can be switched on or off
Total annihilation of the self
Death
