...intelligent being to bring this action about. This being is God. The 18th-century philosopher David Hume wrote a book named Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion in which he criticised Aquinas’s teleological argument, and several other teleological arguments. Firstly, Hume says that the apparent intelligent functioning of many unintelligent bodies – e.g., the complex systems by which plants take up minerals from the soil to cause water uptake into their roots – can be explained by the ideas of natural selection and survival of the fittest, by which the organisms that happen by chance mutations to be most well-adapted to their environments are the ones which survive to reproduce, making their functions appear to be ordered specifically for their environments and therefore seeming designed. Therefore, apparent design may well not be in fact design. Hume uses this idea to criticise the major premise of Aquinas’s teleological argument. Hume also asserts that the world does not necessarily point to an intelligent designer. He uses the apparent cruelty often observed in nature – said to be “red in tooth and claw” – to argue that even if the universe had been designed, it was designed with flaws. For example, cats play with their prey for some time before they kill and eat it. The prey is caused to suffer unnecessarily by this – i.e., the suffering does not contribute to the cat’s survival. This, Hume posits, is one of many instances of flaws in the world. If the world was designed, the designer...
Words: 774 - Pages: 4
...David Hume “Hume is our Politics, Hume is our Trade, Hume is our Philosophy, Hume is our Religion.” philosopher James Hutchison Stirling Biographical Information * He was born in 1711 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and died in 1776 * Was born in upper middle class family, his father died when David still a child, his mother, Katherine Falconer, who was from a family of lawyers, David never married * Main interests: Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Ethics, Politics, Aesthetics, Religion * Hume as the third and most radical of the British Empiricists, after the English John Locke and the Arish George Berkeley. * 1723 (age of 12) After an early education at home enters Edinburg University where he begins the study of law, three years later turns from the study of law to pursue an intense independent study of his own devising. * In 1752 was employment as librarian of the Advocate’s Library in Edinburgh * n 1763, Hume accepted as a private secretary for Lord Hertford, the Ambassador to France, * He thought this science should be based on “experience and observation”. (Spiegel 206) * Between (1744-1745), Hume was a candidate for the Chair of Moral Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, but was rejected mostly due to the protest concerning his anti-religious writings * He wrote profoundly influential works on epistemology, ethics, and the philosophy of religion, and was also published on politics, economics and history. * Hume also...
Words: 520 - Pages: 3
...religion in terms of the skepticism and naturalism that features prominently in his Treatise of Human Nature (1739-40), his first and most ambitious philosophical work. According to the account that is now widely accepted in the scholarly literature, Hume removed almost all the material in the Treatise that was concerned with religion because he was anxious to avoid causing any “offence” among the orthodox. In his later works, beginning with an Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (1748), Hume began to present his views on this subject in a more substantial and direct manner. This culminates in his Natural History of Religion (1757) and Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779; published posthumously) – both of which are entirely taken up with philosophical issues in religion. The linkage between these various works, on this account, is that the later writings on religion are simply an extension and application of the sceptical and naturalistic principles that Hume developed in his earlier writings. While it is certainly true that there is an intimate connection between Hume's scepticism and naturalism and his irreligious objectives and orientation, it is not evident that this relationship should be understood in terms of Hume drawing irreligious consequences in his later work from the sceptical and naturalistic principles that he laid down in his earlier work. There is a more intimate connection between these components of Hume's philosophy than this account suggests. Apart...
Words: 1814 - Pages: 8
...Hume and miracles Examine Hume’s views on miracles. Hume rejected the idea of miracles due to his belief they were beyond the realms of reasonable belief there are other interpretations of the events which would be more likely. Hume believes wise and sensible people will form their beliefs on evidence. Therefore it must be more likely that it is true than it being false before they believe it. Hume argued we should weigh up the evidence in the case of miracles. We should look at which more likely; natural rules will have held good, or is it more likely that a miracle will have taken place. By Hume’s thinking our past experiences have shown us that for example, we can’t turn water into wine, we can’t rise from the dead, we can’t walk on water, therefore the whole weight of past experiences we have had bears this out. This leads to us being sceptical when it comes when looking at reports that something different has happened. You have several choices when/if someone tells you they’ve witnessed a miracle. You could believe what the person is telling you, if you know the person well enough and know they usually tell the truth then you would do so. However, you could believe that the person is mistaken or deceiving you on purpose. For Hume, he argued that a reasonable person would choose the most likely of the choices, even though it may be unlikely that the person is deceiving you and unlikely that they’ve made a mistake it will always be more unlikely that a miracle has...
Words: 1496 - Pages: 6
...Hume claims that judgments of causality are completely constructed by the mind and they are a result of "habit" or "custom." We have a habit of thinking causally. But Hume does not say this is a bad thing, since without this habit we would not be able to function in everyday life. He even calls causality the "cement of the universe." For Hume, our judgments of causality are determined by three factors: 1) constant conjunction: we continuously see one event that follows from another event in experience. For example, I see that one ball hits another ball, and that second ball moves, and this has happened many times; 2) contiguity: the two things must be close to each other in space and time; and 3) association between ideas: I have an idea of one ball moving, and the idea of another being hit and moving. So, causality does not belong in the objects seen, but only in the mind. Causality is not a real feature of the world, but only a way we interpret events in the world. In this way, Hume's account of causality points to his broader position that we cannot have any knowledge of the world---or even be in a position to know that we have knowledge. Hume observes that while we may perceive two events that seem to occur in conjunction, there is no way for us to know the nature of their connection. Based on this observation, Hume argues against the very concept of causation, or cause and effect. We often assume that one thing causes another, but it is just as possible that one thing...
Words: 2158 - Pages: 9
...Kant VS Hume David Hume works from world to mind, Immanuel Kant from mind to world. Hume, how we experience the world is conditioned by the world. Kant, how we experience the world is conditioned by the mind. Most contemporary philosophers believe that Hume refuted the views of the rationalists before him (Descartes, Hobbes Spinoza, and Leibniz), who all held that there is an element of genuine a priori reasoning in causal inference. According to Hume, however, causal relations are not logically necessary, and hence they cannot be known a priori. To say that even if A caused B, it is not logically impossible to suppose that, given A, B might not have occurred. (De Pierris) So far as reason and logic are concerned, given a particular event, anything may happen next. This is precisely the reason why causal relations cannot be known a priori; in order to determine whether or not a causal relation holds between A and B we must rely on our experience of similar relations. "There are no objects," wrote Hume, "which by the mere survey, without consulting experience; we can determine to be the causes of any other; and no objects, which we can certainly determine in the same manner not to be the causes" (Lorkowski) Hume analyzed the idea of causality by emphasizing the three demands that can be verified through observation. First he argued the aspect of constant conjunction. In this aspect, the cause and effect must be spatially and constantly existent. Secondly, he asserted that...
Words: 971 - Pages: 4
...Introduction: Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) and David Hume (1711-1776) are two of the most influential and remarkable philosophers who have ever lived. Their perspectives on various subjects have certainly left a dent on the topics of literature, history, and philosophy. They were not afraid of turning away from common knowledge, and reinventing certain understandings about the world. Each of these philosophers were known for their new, innovative, and challenging ideas. The topic of causality (the relation between an event and a second event, where the first event is understood to be responsible for the second) was one specifically discussed by both men with great intensity, and their respective opinions shaped the minds of hundreds upon hundreds...
Words: 1882 - Pages: 8
...every event that occurs and while Determinism as a term wasn’t coined as a term until the 19th century, David Hume explored these major concepts in his Enquiry, delving into the roots of humanity and questioning the truth of human freedom.1 In particular his exploration into human understanding leads him to conclude that there is no effect without a cause and liberty when opposed to necessity cannot universally exist.2 Hume’s discovery, the Causal Maxim, and is generally accepted among philosophers, though it is not enough in and of itself to prove that he fits the mold of a determinist. However, by delving further into his various arguments, I will prove that Hume’s philosophy, mainly the denial of induction and support of causation, follows the discreet specifications of Determinism. Essential to the understanding of Hume’s philosophy is his idea of the universal necessity of connection between cause and effect, though he aptly admits that this connection is unobservable and denies that humans can ever have a true understanding of cause and effect.3 To explain such a broad claim Hume addresses a situation in which causality could prove troublesome by illustrating that God, through an immense causality chain, could be the true author of crime and immorality. This approach at explaining the connection between human criminality and God is deterministic, though Hume quickly halts this explication by admitting that it is outside of the bounds of human reason to understand the...
Words: 1086 - Pages: 5
...Quiz #1 Questions 1. Give full and logical descriptions of the philosophy. Biography is optional. 2. Give any comparison you consider interesting. Pro/Con Philosophers 3. Your personal opinion about this philosophy. David Hume 1 Biography 1711 – 1776 Scottish Philosopher Self-Proclaimed Agnostic Did not believe we could answer the question, “Does God exist?” Exiled and moved to France Leading thinker in European enlightenment Wrote treaties on ethics, knowledge, religion, and human nature. Was called, “Good David”, remarkably kind and humorous, or the Scottish Skeptic Essay, “Of Self-Love” Essay, “Moral Distinction not Derived from Reason” All action is motivated by selfishness, or “self-love”. This claim in psychological egoism is at odds with our regular experiences with people In which we act with “such affections as love, friendship, compassion, and gratitude”. Reducing things down to one cause may work in natural sciences, but it is unnecessary and inaccurate in the human sciences. In “Moral Distinctions not Derived from Reason”, argues that morality is not based solely on pure rationality, but on our “sentiments,” Sentiments – Our feelings of acceptance or disapproval. Thus, moral thinking is also moral *feeling* Supported by examining cases of moral “turpitude” 1. Incest 2. Murder 3. Ingratitude “To [even] the most careless observer, there appear to be such dispositions...
Words: 391 - Pages: 2
...David Hume is a Scottish philosopher, who is well recognized for his efforts on empiricism and skepticism. As a matter of fact, in An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding he focuses on epistemology, which highlights the limitations that knowledge encounters. Hume introduces the problem of induction, which is basically the philosophical issue of examining whether knowledge can be derived from inductive reasoning, and as a result whether it can come from experiences. He evidently discusses the dependability of empirical claims, and consequently of natural sciences also. In this paper, I plan at first to present Hume's problem of induction while explaining what he means by matters of fact and relations of ideas as well as emphasize the...
Words: 1510 - Pages: 7
...David Hume, a Scottish philosopher who denied rationalism because he did not truly believe in God and he could be considered an atheist. Consequently, he believes that experience is the sources of ideas, but does not believe that experiences hold the source of truth. Additionally, Hume states that ideas have connections between other ideas and that they can by divided into three parts: resemblance, contiguity, and cause and effect. When it comes to God, Hume believes that God originates from being influence by others and that the theological arguments of god existence contains some problems. Firstly, it depends on the experiences of the world based on senses and the mind, but Hume responds that the world is unpredictable and nothing is for certain. Secondly, the over use of analogies weakens the argument because it is not giving a clear answer and may...
Words: 599 - Pages: 3
...Asses Humes reason for rejecting miracles. (35) Hume defines a miracle as a transgression of a natural law by a particular volition of the deity. This does not imply that a miracle is an extraordinary event but it is one that breaks the natural law and that it is brought about by the action of God. Other two definitions would be that a miracle is an event that has religious significance and this does not need to have broken the laws of nature to be regarded as a miracle but it needs to reveal something about God. The last definition of a miracle is a view of Thomas Aquinas who defines miracles as an event caused by God. In this essay I will be discussing why Hume rejects miracles and arguments for and against his theories. Hume was an empiricist, so he believed that it was more likely that the report of a miracle was mistaken than the laws of nature were violated. He did not say that miracles did not happen, but that it would be impossible to prove them. Hume’s argument is based on the principle of induction, which is the suggestion that future events will take place based on previous evidence. This is because evidence from people’s experience of observing the world showed the laws of nature to be fixed and unvarying. For example, the sun has risen every day in the past, so it is very likely that it will rise again and not stand still in the sky. However, Hume did accept that whatever happened countless times in the past did not guarantee such would happen again in...
Words: 703 - Pages: 3
...Q. Explain Humes’ criticisms of the cosmological argument (25 marks) The cosmological argument is based on the principle of causation. In particular, it is put forward that any existent thing must have a cause or reason for its existence and that there cannot be more in the effect than there is in the cause. Hume challenges these assumptions in his Dialogues. There are three main critiques that Hume makes of the argument. Firstly, he has general concerns about the way it is structured, and believes that this structure is fallacious. Secondly, he has more specific concerns related to causation and finally he raises challenges to do with the concepts of contingency and necessity. Hume’s challenges to the structure of the cosmological argument directly question the validity of the assumption that existent things need causes or reasons for their existence. Hume says that just because each of the elements of the ‘chain’ has a cause, it doesn’t follow that the chain itself needs a cause. He gives the example of a collection of twenty particles – if an explanation is found for each particle individually he says it would be wrong to then seek an explanation for the whole collection, because you have already explained it by explaining each particle. This is called the fallacy of composition, and was later simply put by Russell that just because every man has a mother, it doesn’t mean that there is a mother of the human race. Hume also has some challenges to the notion of causation...
Words: 733 - Pages: 3
...David Hume Empirist, skeptiker og nominalist. Hva er det vi kan vite sikkert og hvor kommer denne viten fra? Målet er å undersøke våre forestillinger og tanker i den hensikt å bekrefte/avkrefte deres sannhets- eller gyldighetsgrad. Analytisk kunnskap: kunnskap om forhold mellom begreper: logikk og matte. Sier ikke noe nytt om verden rundt oss. Syntetisk kunnskap: Gir oss ny informasjon om subjektet. Baserer seg på sanseinntrykkene. Den er ikke sikker kunnskap, da sanseinntrykkene kan lure oss, men det er det nærmeste vi kan komme kunnskap om verden. Det finnes ikke noe kunnskap om verden som ikke har sitt opphav i sanseerfaringen → det ligger til grunn for empirismen. Inntrykk: en form for erfaring, umiddelbar, blir skapt i oss ved hjelp av sanseinntrykkene, en direkte opplevelse av noe. Forestilling; en form for erfaring; inntrykk man tenker tilbake på og minnes, mattere og mindre klare enn inntrykkene, noe vi i siste instans fører tilbake til sanseinntrykk. Sammensatte forestillinger: inntrykk og forestillinger settes sammen, noen ganger til rare kombinasjoner som for eksempel forestillingen om Gud. Gud er dermed ikke basert på noen sansning av Gud selv. Assosiasjonsprinsippene ”liket”: gruppering av enkeltting → hume som nominalist. Assosiasjonsprinsippet ”sammenheng”: vi slutter fra en ting til det som er i nærheten → fra en stjerne til alle de andre stjernene. Assosiasjonsprinsippet ”Årsak/virkning”: kritiserer årsaksbegrepet!! Biljardkulene → hendelsesforløp...
Words: 890 - Pages: 4
...Evaluate the claim that belief in miracles leads to a belief in a God who favours some but not all of his creation. 35m The definition of the word ‘miracle’ has not been unanimously agreed upon by scholars and thinkers. Hume famously defined miracles as ‘violations of the laws of nature by a particular volition of the deity.’ It can be argued that Hume would agree that belief in miracles would lead to a God who favoured some but not all of his creation as they are defined by him as exceptions to the norm based purely on the ‘volition’ (or will) of God. In this sense God would therefore decide when and where to intervene. The fundamental problem with this position is the anthropomorphic language which is used to describe God, many would argue that God does not act from volition because He does not have human attributes or limitations. Maurice Wiles argued that a God who intervenes selectively would not be worthy of worship due to his failure to act on a wider scale. Wiles argue that such a God would be guilty of being arbitrary (acting on random choices) and partisan (seeming to support a certain party or group). Wiles is concerned that a God who performs miracles, in the traditional sense, is picking and choosing who to perform miracles for, relieving suffering for some and allowing it to happen to others. He argues that the believer is subsequently left with two choices: to reject belief in miracles and petitionary prayer, or to accept that God is morally culpable for the...
Words: 862 - Pages: 4