Inconsistencies in Humes Empirical Thought Essay -- Philosophy Religi

Inconsistencies in Humes Empirical Thought In his Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, David Hume attempts to uncover the crowning(prenominal) truth about where our knowledge comes from. This leads him to suggest that all our ideas and knowledge arise from outward experiences and sensations. He attempts to prove this by solving the problem of induction. I disagree with Humes ideas, and in this essay I will rationalize why. I shall begin by explaining the problem of induction, and the sceptical doubts Hume raises concerning the inductive process. I will then explain how Hume solves the problem. Finally, I will conclude by offering a critique of Humes doctrine, and explain why I find it to be inconsistent. In order to agnize Humes problem of induction, it is first necessary to understand the principles upon which it stands. At the outset of his work, Hume declares that all our ideas or more feeble perceptions are copies of our impressions or more lively aces.1 He justifies th is statement by two arguments. Firstly, he analyzes the roots of our knowledge, and discerns that all knowledge has its origins in a precedent feeling or sentiment2 To Hume, even the idea of God is derrived from a prior sensation. He argues that we can have an idea of God simply by augmenting our ideas of wisdom and goodness. Essentially, we can reproduce the goodness that we sense or experience up to infinity, in order to have an idea of God. Secondly, Hume states that all knowledge must come from sensations. To illustrate this, he uses the example of a blind man. A blind man will have no idea or impression of the colour blue. Since he has neer seen blue, let alone colour, there is no possible way for him to know what blue is. Thu... ...tions, Iran no date available Steinberg, Eric ed. David Hume An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. Second Edition. Hackett Publishing Company, Indianapolis 1977 De Sousa, Ronnie. http//www.chass.utoronto.ca/sousa/PHL100/hume1.html As of Frid ay April 9th. De Sousa, Ronnie. http//www.chass.utoronto.ca/sousa/PHL100/hume1.html As of Friday April 9th. 1 Steinberg, Eric ed. David Hume An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. P. 11 2 ibid. P. 11 3 Ibid. P. 14 4 Ibid. P. 15 5 Hume must be referring to a perfect 360-degree circle or 180-degree triangle 6 Ibid. P. 15 7 Ibid. P. 16 8 Ibid. P. 16 9 Ibid. P. 17 10 Ibid. P. 19 11 Ibid. P. 21 12 Im assuming here that no one has been able to sustain self-propelled flight. 13 As-Sadr, Muhammad Baqir. Our Philosophy. P. 52