Hume proposes the
idea that moral principles are rooted in their utility, or usefulness
, rather than in God’s will. His version of this theory is unique. … Hume argues that some principles simply appeal to us and others do not.
What was Hume’s philosophy?
David Hume, (born May 7 [April 26, Old Style], 1711, Edinburgh, Scotland—died August 25, 1776, Edinburgh), Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist known especially for his
philosophical empiricism and skepticism
. Hume conceived of philosophy as the inductive, experimental science of human nature.
What is Hume’s argument?
Hume’s argument is
that we cannot rationally justify the claim that nature will continue to be uniform
, as justification comes in only two varieties—demonstrative reasoning and probable reasoning—and both of these are inadequate.
What did Hume argue about government?
According to the author, what Hume called a “civilized monarchy,” though falling short of the ideal republic, can be regarded as a civilized form of government. This is because Hume believed that,
with the exception of the monarch him- or herself, people could be governed by the rule of law in such a political system
.
What are Hume’s three beliefs?
He regards his use of these “universal principles” as so distinctive that he advertises them as his most original contribution—one that entitles him call himself an “inventor” (Abstract 35). Hume identifies three principles of association:
resemblance, contiguity in time and place, and causation.
What does Hume’s law state?
/ (hjuːmz) / noun. the
philosophical doctrine that an evaluative statement cannot be derived from purely factual premises
, often formulated as: one can’t derive an “ought” from an “is”See also naturalistic fallacy.
What is Hume’s argument against miracles?
David Hume, in Of Miracles (Section X. of An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding), claimed either that, because a miracle would be a ‘violation of the laws of nature’,
miracles are impossible or that one cannot have a justified belief that a miracle occurred
.
Does Hume believe in God?
This combination of skepticism and empiricism leads many to presume that, regarding the question of God, Hume is
an atheist
or, at best, an agnostic. … Hume challenges some of the arguments for the existence of God, but repeatedly in his writings, he affirms God’s existence and speculates about God’s nature.
How does Hume define cause?
A cause as a philosophical relation is defined as (para. 31): ”
An object precedent and contiguous to another, and where all objects *resembling the former are placed in like relations of precedency and contiguity to those objects that resemble the latter
.”
How did Hume influence Kant?
Hume’s treatment of causality
exerted a profound influence on Kant. He tells us that his “labor” in the Critique of Pure Reason was fundamentally a response to “that Humean skeptical teaching” (CPrR 5:32). The direct impact of Hume’s moral philosophy is less clear.
Why was Hume a skeptic?
Part of Hume’s fame and importance owes to
his boldly skeptical approach to a range of philosophical subjects
. … In epistemology, he questioned common notions of personal identity, and argued that there is no permanent “self” that continues over time.
What does Hume say about skepticism?
David Hume held views within the tradition of skepticism. In other words,
the argument that we cannot know anything about the world with certainty
. He argued that we have no rational justification for most of what we believe.
What Hume said about self?
Hume suggests that the self
is just a bundle of perceptions
, like links in a chain. … Hume argues that our concept of the self is a result of our natural habit of attributing unified existence to any collection of associated parts. This belief is natural, but there is no logical support for it.
What does Hume say about happiness?
Hume’s moral system aims at the happiness of others (without any such formula as “
the greatest happiness of the greatest number”
) and at the happiness of self. But regard for others accounts for the greater part of morality.
What did Hume say about God?
In this section Hume emphasizes the point that God’s being is
“so different, and so much superior”
to human nature that we are not able to form any clear or distinct idea of his nature and attributes, much less one based on our own qualities and characteristics.
Is Hume an existentialist?
Personally, reading Hume was exciting because of connections between his ideas and philosophies I’m more familiar with that came after him, especially
Existentialism
and Absurdism.
