Hume’s Philosophy: Causality, Empiricism, and Skepticism
Hume’s Thought
Hume’s primary aim was to establish a science of man. He sought to understand human nature, analyze the principle of causality, and explore the foundations of human moral action.
Core of Empiricism
Hume posited that the mind receives sensitive impressions (sensory experiences) and impressions of reflection (recollections of those experiences). He rejected innate ideas, asserting that all knowledge stems from experience, specifically from sensory perceptions. Events are explained through cause and effect. Facts cannot precede experience; they are derived from it.
Critique of Causality
Hume argued that all reasoning about matters of fact is based on the relationship of cause and effect. This principle establishes a causal relationship as necessary. However, the connection between cause and effect is not inevitable; it is a product of the imagination, which creates an association based on past experiences. We expect the future to resemble the past, but this is a belief based on the constant observation of facts. We associate repeated observations and interpret this association as a necessary connection.
Critique of Substance
Hume argued that the idea of substance is not derived from any impression, making it an assumption or hypothesis. Substance is a collection of simple ideas joined by the imagination. The concept of substance, which groups common properties of different objects, is a complex concept created by the mind without direct experience.
Critique of the Self
Hume defined the self as a bundle of impressions and reflections that the imagination unites into a single unit. The self is perceived as a collection of successive impressions and reflections, which constitute consciousness. The mind is like a theater where different perceptions pass through.
Critique of God
Hume argued that we have no impressions of God, therefore we cannot prove God’s existence either a priori (challenging Descartes) or a posteriori (challenging Aquinas). Hume stated that he cannot say God does not exist, but that there is no empirical evidence for God.
Critique of the External World
The idea of material substance is a complex concept formed from a set of sensory impressions through which we learn qualities like color. We cannot prove the existence of material substance because we lack direct impressions of it.
Phenomenalism
Hume’s philosophy, known as phenomenalism, asserts that the only reality we can know is what appears through experience. According to Hume, our knowledge is limited to phenomena and is likely temporary. We can only affirm the reality of things for which we have had sensible experience.
Skepticism
Hume’s skepticism reflects the limitations of human understanding and the limits of our ability to know reality. We can discover connections between perceptions because they are associated through impressions. We cannot know everything, and we cannot go beyond our perceptions.
Freedom
Hume defined freedom as the absence of external causes that force action. He believed that free will is compatible with causality. Our actions are determined by internal or external causes, but the subject is convinced of their freedom.