David Hume

Question 1

David Hume basics

Answer 1

Scottish (1711-1776)
- A treatise of human nature (-> psych as a basis of all other sciences)
- wanted to experiment into philosophy
- limits of human knowledge

Question 2

David Hume, perceptions

Answer 2

• Impressions = perceptions (ideas are less vivid copies of perceptions)
• ideas: structured like impressions
• simple and complex perceptions, simple engage with each other
• everything builds on perception
• impressions are more important cuz they build on reality
• complex perception-> broken down (ATOMISTIC)
• POSITIVIST: all meaningful thoughts-> broken down to observable

Question 3

3 types, David Hume

Answer 3

Similarity, space and time contingency, causal connection
- association: newton gravity
- generalization: inductive connection of experience
- causality perception of co-occurance. HABITUATION instead of apprehension

Question 4

Where do we end up if we are consistently empirical (Hume)

Answer 4

• never experience causality
• science needs to handle causal relationships
• assuming causality makes no sense, even though it works
• we don’t experience shape consistency, only jumbled impressions
• Less rational beings than we thought (HUME)
• ability of generalization is innate and more useful than thinking (HUME)
• fundament of knowledge is habit (HUME€

Question 5

Humes fork

Answer 5

Two categories for knowdlege: relations of ideas (logical truths, maths) and matters of fact (empirical truths)
-> Darwin’s and Einsteins empiricism came from Hume

Question 6

Induction, deduction, abduction

Answer 6

Induction (bottom-up reasoning)
- all known life forms need water to survive-> all life forms need water to survive

Deduction (top-down reasoning)
- all humans are mortal
- Socrates is a human
- => Socrates is mortal

Abduction
- when it rains grass is wet, when the grass is wet it’s plausible that it rained

-> science doesn’t use induction explicitly, based on it only.

Question 7

Hume: problem of indiction

Answer 7

• no reason to believe induction (= general reasoning [sun will come up cuz it did every day before] is only a habit, no logical necessity)

1. We generalize from observing
2. Recurring events will happen like they did in the past-> the principle of infirmity of nature (will only be SIMILAR)

Problems: we can’t really predict anything
- induction is a psych tendency, we would live without it too

Question 8

Anti-induction

Answer 8

• I have lost 10 times so I must win this time.
  But: I have always burnt my hand in a fire, so they won’t burn next time?

Question 9

Bernard Russel’s chicken

Answer 9

• sun comes up every day, farmer brings breakfast every morning => chicken thinks the farmer is a nice person due to breakfast every morning. How sure can it be?

Question 10

Responses to Hume

Answer 10

• metaphysicians: even that disproves empiricism since it proves knowledge can be acquired through other means than experience
• Karl popper: Hume is right but it doesn’t matter