Essay on "David Hume Why Does Hume Think That Causation Is Not Necessary Connection"
Essay 4 pages (1128 words) Sources: 1
[EXCERPT] . . . .
Hume think that causation is not necessary connection?In setting the stage for understanding Hume's theory of causation, and at the same time understanding why causation does not necessarily a connection, an overview of his causation theory is worthwhile. Hume makes a sharp distinction between the two ways in which the mind constructs ideas; there are impressions and ideas, and within those contexts there are natural relations and philosophical relations. Hume explains the three natural relations as contiguity, resemblance, and cause and effect, and the philosopher points to causation as the most common of the three natural relations. The fact that humans come to believe in certain facts that go "…beyond the present testimony of our senses and memory" verifies Hume's theory of causation, according to Chapter 15 (408).
The examples given -- a watch found on a desert island [cause] leads to the belief [effect] that a human was there, and a voice in a dark room [cause] suggests another person is there [effect] -- shows Hume's belief that cause and affect transcends what memory and sense otherwise bring to the human mind. But he also says that humans' belief in cause and effect, and that events are related to one another by cause and effect, is not rational (410). Even though it is very common and understandable for humans to believe a second event is a result of the first, without this common cause and effect assumption, humans would be "…entirely ignorant of every matter of fact" beyond what is immediately obvious and present (410).
The author (Chapter 15) condenses Hume's approach to cause as "…a kind of fiction" because there "…
download full paper ⤓
Why does Hume believe causation is not necessarily connection? "…there are no ideas, which occur in metaphysics, more obscure and uncertain, than those of power, force, energy or necessary connection" (Treatise of Ideas, 61-2). He does not go along with what many philosophers see as necessary connections between ideas and facts. He believes humans cannot get a good idea of what is necessary connection simply by experiencing it through sensory experiences. That is because internal experiences (i.e., sensory experiences) are too hard to nail down, and with internal experiences there is nothing with which to make a solid connection.
Humans are constantly bombarded with the coming together of two events, to put it another way. When event "C" occurs our experiences relate to our consciousness that "D" will follow "C" because in the past events like "D" have always followed "C" events. Humans expect that to happen, Hume explains, because they have in the past and so humans have an expectation that C. will generally be followed by D. This, Hume writes, is our impression from which the idea of connection is presented in our minds. The events themselves do not necessarily make it true, partly because our perceptions of objects and events are not joined in reality, and they have no unity in and of their own existence, he explains.
As… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "David Hume Why Does Hume Think That Causation Is Not Necessary Connection" Assignment:
Answer the following in 4 pages.
Why does Hume think that causation is not necessary connection? How does Hume redefine causation? Hints: In order to answer this prompt properly, you need to overview Hume*****s metaphysics of perception (impressions, ideas, simple and complex ones etc.) and his epistemology of perception (the distinction between relations of ideas and matters of fact). *****
*****
How to Reference "David Hume Why Does Hume Think That Causation Is Not Necessary Connection" Essay in a Bibliography
“David Hume Why Does Hume Think That Causation Is Not Necessary Connection.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2013, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/hume-think-causation/3157814. Accessed 5 Oct 2024.
Related Essays:
David Hume Philosopher, Historian, and Economist Term Paper
David Hume
Philosopher, historian, and economist David Hume (April 26, 1711 - August 25, 1776) was born in Scotland (Penelhum, 1993). He was seen to be a very prominent figure… read more
Term Paper 15 pages (4488 words) Sources: 5 Style: MLA Topic: Philosophy / Logic / Reason
David Hume William James Contrast and Compare Theories Term Paper
David Hume/Williams James
William James (1842-1910) was one of America's most notable philosophers, however, his work went beyond the boundaries of philosophy (Schick & Vaughn 2009). Born in New York… read more
Term Paper 8 pages (2661 words) Sources: 7 Topic: Religion / God / Theology
David Hume Adam Smith Is Normally Noted Term Paper
David Hume
Adam Smith is normally noted when discussing the beginnings of economics. However, it was his friend, David Hume, who wrote the " as part of Essays and Treatises,… read more
Term Paper 6 pages (1956 words) Sources: 3 Style: MLA Topic: Economics / Finance / Banking
Why Do You Think it Is Difficult Term Paper
Why do you think it is difficult to get management to allocate money to pay
for patching?
Many company senior managers, including company owners and Chief Executive
Officers (CEOs) see… read more
Term Paper 1 pages (396 words) Sources: 0 Style: MLA Topic: Computers / IT / Internet
David Hume's Treatise Term Paper
Hume -- Morals
Crasto
In today's world, the purveyors of what is right and wrong often bandy about the words Morals and Morality. The issues of morality are brought up… read more
Term Paper 20 pages (7194 words) Sources: 1 Topic: Ethics / Morality
Sat, Oct 5, 2024
If you don't see the paper you need, we will write it for you!
We can write a new, 100% unique paper!