...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...
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...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...
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...It became totally normal under all these “[r]ules and formulas, those mechanical aids to the rational use’’ (p.1) to not think which is at the origin self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the incapacity to think by itself and use its intelligence without being guided by anyone. Immanuel Kant considers that the immaturity is self-imposed not because of the lack of intelligence, but rather because of the absence of resolution and courage to use its reason without being guided. Cowardice and laziness are the causes which pushes men to be guided by others. It is easier to be immature than use its reason. Immatures think in the following way “I have book to serve as my understanding, a pastor to serve as my conscience, a physician to determine my diet for me, and so on” (p.1) so they do not see the interest to begin to think by themselves. They only have to pay somebody else to take care of this boring occupation. Also, the majority of the men think that it is difficult and dangerous to become mature. The fear to not succeed is present in each of them which stop them from trying or daring to go farther. Then that becomes difficult for them to try to go out of their immaturity which became their second nature. All these reasons are the cause for why a big part of the men remain gladly immature all their life long. According to Kant the only way to reach enlightenment is by using one's understanding without any...
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...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...
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...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...
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...David Hume David Hume Cornelia Roberts-Pryce Cornelroberts@yahoo.com Content David Hume Abstract TCO 4 -Given the intellectual climate of post-WWI Europe, analyze the emergence of the philosophies of existentialism and logical positivism based upon the principles of modern humanism According to lecture 1, the Enlightenment was characterized by a questioning of current beliefs (including religious belief) and customs and a turn towards the benefits of science. People today think that democracy is a direct outgrowth of Enlightenment thinking but Hume, Locke, Voltaire, and others did not think that the general public was able to reason and that it could or should not be educated (Stromberg, 1994). Introduction The purpose of this paper is to discuss the contributions of David Hume (1711-76) to the period of history during the enlightenment age developing theories of the doctrine of Empiricism. There are two doctrines which follow this principle. The first doctrine is that most, if not all, concepts are ultimately derived from experience; the second is that most, if not all, knowledge derives from experience, in the sense that appeals to experience are necessarily involved in its justification. Neither doctrine implies the other. Hume belongs to the tradition of British empiricism that includes Francis Bacon (1561-1626), John Locke (1632-1704), and George Berkeley (1685-1753). Common to this tradition is the view that knowledge is founded...
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...came across a stone on a hill, one would conclude that it was there naturally. However, if one came across a watch, one would assume that it was not there naturally. * This is because the watch is complex, harmonious, planned, functional and purposeful * We would say that such a watch must have an intelligent designer. * The universe is similar – there are many different parts that work together harmoniously and in an apparently purposeful way. It is also complex, self-sufficient and interdependent * Therefore we should assume that the universe has an intelligent designer – God * However, arguably the universe is more akin to a stone than a watch – how can nature itself stick out as something unnatural? * Hume – the world is dissimilar to a watch, and so because the effect is different, we cannot infer the same cause * Also, this argument assumes that there is purpose to the universe, even though there is no evidence as such. * There is much disorder in the world due to natural disasters and wars, unlike a watch * If the universe is flawed, this implies that the creator was flawed. God is supposed to be perfect. * This analogy also anthropomorphises God by saying that he is similar to a person * Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection provides a scientific explanation for how the universe came to be as it is * Function is not the same as purpose, which implies a higher meaning. The universe may be functional...
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...proportion (it’s all relative) -God cant do “non actions” like 2+2=5 - God is timeless, REASON, we get his nature via revelation Tillich - symbols unlock things from God Bultmann -demythologising stories Wittgenstein -picture theory of language, language games James -physcology, empiricism,pluralism, pragmatism -passive, ineffable, noetic, transient -Philosopher/ Phychologist -rel exp has mental dimension, not just this -truth is in the results! Otto -Wholly Other Schliemacher -emotional experiences Buber -I thou relationship Feuerbach - God is man in large letters Freud - God stems from childhood Jung -rel exp is a result of collective unconscious Alston -rel exp may be the same as normal exp? Broad -blind society Hume -“transgression of a natural law” = miracles -miracle occurred Vs witnesses mistaken? (whats more likely?) -practical case against miracles (insane,supernatural, ignorant,pluralism) Holland -“too coincidental...
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...Juan Sanchez Mr.Howell World History 27 january 2016 The Enlightenment Philosophers: What Was Their Main Idea? Nowadays, the idea of freedom is taken for granted by many people. Those who possess these freedoms do not realize just how fortunate they are to have the right to speak their minds. However, the question is, how and when did the idea of freedom come to be? Who created this idea of individuality and freedom? The Age of Enlightenment was a time of new revolutionary ideas, and during this period, many philosophers, or thinkers, formed ideas that were never spoken of before. They went against common beliefs and created ideas that were evidently disapproved by society. So what was the main idea of these Enlightenment philosophers? The main idea of the Enlightenment philosophers was freedom, as supported by the works of John Locke, Voltaire, Adam Smith, and Mary Wollstonecraft. Firstly, John Smith’s work, Second Treatise on Civil Government, demonstrated the idea of freedom immensely. In Document A, Locke stated that “all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom… within the bounds of the law of nature,” specifying men’s right to freedom. Furthermore, he stated his beliefs about human equality. He believed that all mankind should be “equal one amongst another without subordination or subjection…” (Document A). Locke’s beliefs were based on human rights and society; however, all of these focuses link to his main idea, which was freedom. Voltaire...
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...Hume defined miracles as a “violation of the laws of nature” and consequently rejected their occurrence as both improbable and impractical. This view has been supported by modern scientists and philosophers such as Atkins, Dawkins and Wiles to a certain extent. However Aquinas, Tillich and Holland and Swinburne to a certain extent reject Hume’s reasons, instead arguing that miracles have a divine cause and that Hume’s arguments are weak. This essay will argue that Hume’s reasons for rejecting miracles are not valid and in doing so consider his two main arguments; lack of probability and Hume’s practical argument. Hume’s first reason for rejecting miracles was a lack of probability. He argued that evidence from people’s experience of observing the world showed the laws of nature to be fixed and unvarying. However to suggest a miracle occurred was to say that the laws of nature had been violated, hence his definition of miracles being a “violation of the laws of nature.” Miracles were reported has having occurred by eyewitnesses, as is stated in the Bible in the case of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. However for Hume it was far more likely that the eyewitnesses were mistaken in what they witnessed, than for Jesus to have actually raised Lazarus from the dead and in doing so violated fixed laws of nature. A violation of the laws of nature was therefore an improbable occurrence. Wiles’ agrees with Hume’s point that it is more likely the eyewitness was wrong than a miracle...
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...walk the dog before she actually takes him outside for his walk. If we assume that human actions are those actions that result from the rational capacities of humans, we then see that the possibility of free action depends on the possibility of free will: to say that an agent acted freely is minimally to say that the agent was successful in carrying out a free volition or choice. Various philosophers have offered just such an account of freedom. Thomas Hobbes suggested that freedom consists in there being no external impediments to an agent doing what he wants to do: “A free agent is he that can do as he will, and forbear as he will, and that liberty is the absence of external impediments.” In An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, David Hume thought that free will (or "liberty," to use his term) is simply the “power of acting or of not acting, according to the determination of the will: that is, if we choose to remain at rest, we may; if we choose to move, we also may.… This hypothetical liberty is universally allowed to belong to everyone who is not a prisoner and in chains.” This suggests that freedom is simply the ability to select a course of action, and an agent is free if he is not being prevented by some external obstacle from completing that course of...
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...Immanuel Kant coined the motto of the Enlightenment to be “Dare to Know!” That being said, one can describe The Enlightenment as series of philosophical, cultural, and social movements in thought, which occurred during the late 17th century to through the 18th century. (Gay, 1966). The Enlightenment changed Europe and made Europe more modern through emphasis of knowledge and questioning the way that society was structured. The changes are seen through the debate surrounding religion, shifts in societal thinking, and the ideas of Philosophes. The Enlightenment changed a lot about Europe to make it more modern. One way that Europe developed during this time was, many people started to view religion in a different light. Specifically, this change and view was seen with Christianity, people started to question whether Christianity should control how society believes the world should function. From this, theists and deists emerged, theists did not want to outright get rid of Christianity but rather remove the irrational portions of the religion; meanwhile, deists wanted to create a whole new religion that centred around what Kenneth Setton and Henry Winkler refer to a “clockmaker God.” (Setton & Winkler, 1954). This made Europe more modern because it started to question the norms of society. For generations, Christianity or more explicitly the bible was guiding force of how people should live their lives and during the Enlightenment it was not accepted as the only option. Moreover...
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...A History of Modern Psychology University of Phoenix Flaur Conde Psy 310 The History of Psychology is something that is important to many psychologists everywhere. The history is celebrated by many centennial celebrations that started in 1979 (Goodwin, 2008, pg. 2). In the 1960’s when the history of psychology caught interest research of psychology’s past became prominent (Goodwin, 2008, pg. 2). History is important, because it lets people know where they came from, and what mistakes were made, and what discoveries were made, and how we can apply the past to future learning (Goodwin, 2008, pg. 3). One of the forerunners to the beginning philosophy to psychology is Rene Descartes. The Renaissance gave him a great stage to start with, because it had already started the changing of thought, made science more accepted, and made the approved teachings of the church mundane. Descartes wanted to search for a system where all information could be united (Goodwin, 2008, pg. 32). He believed that knowledge can be found through reasoning, and wouldn’t accept any truth unless it could not be doubted (Goodwin, 2008, pg. 32). In the Discourse on Method, Descartes explained his four rules for being able to reason so one could come up with the truth (Goodwin, 2008, pg. 33). The first one is what I stated previously is he would accept information as truth unless it was un-doubtable. The second rule he would take information and break it down to the first stages. The third rule is that...
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...4a. Explain Paley's argument for the existence of God (25) William Paley's argument for the existence of God is an important aspect of the Design argument, which argues that the universe is being directed towards an end purpose due to the a posteriori (subject to experience) evidence of an intelligent designer, who is God. This is because it is perhaps arguably the most famous version, and the theory which modern-day theories for the Design argument are built upon. The first version of the Design argument came from Plato, a Greek philosopher, who developed it to address the universe's apparent order. Plato proposed in his book Timaeus that a “demiurge”, a divine being of supreme wisdom and intelligence, was the creator of the cosmos. In Roman times, this was built upon by Cicero, a Roman jurist, who put forward an early version of what Paley would use for his design argument. In his book On the Nature of Gods, he put forward an analogy of a sundial being designed to tell the time, and that this could be attributed to nature, so therefore like something must of made the sundial, something must of made nature, and this something is an artificer, or God. These key ideas were later developed in the Dominican priest St.Thomas Aquinas' Five ways in his work the Summa Theologica. Each of his ways were in essence proving the existence of God, but the 5th way in particular, which states that common sense tells us the universe acts in such a way so therefore we conclude an intelligent...
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...A miracle, as a broad definition, is an act of God that “transgresses the laws of nature” (David Hume), an act that seems to defy all rational. For many this offers strong evidence for the existence of God, as these inexplicable events must have a cause, that of a transcendent, metaphysical being. However, for others, most notably David Hume, miracles are a logical impossibility, an oxymoron if you will. He tried to prove, through a priori and a posterior reasoning that miracles, because of their metaphysical origin, cannot be what people claim them to be (intervention by God). Problems with the law of nature to language problems with the way miracles are experienced and reported provide ammunition for those that agree with the assumption in the title. By defining what miracles are and then exploring the criticisms and counter criticisms for these definitions we should arrive at a conclusion as to whether miracles, in the sense they are defined, are possible. Brian Davis proposed that there were two different types of miracles, the essential difference being the varying degree of possible divine intervention that can be attributed to the event. Strong Miracles are events that can only be attributed to God – he is intervening in the world to change the course of history. This may be, as Hume suggested, a “transgression of the laws of nature by a particular violation of the Deity, or by the interposition of some invisible agent”. However, Humey boy took issue with strong miracles...
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