David Hume, Hume's Fork (1711-
1776 CE)
Context
Born to noble yet relatively poor family in Edinburgh, Scotland
Went to University of Edinburgh at age 10/12 (the norm was 14)
intended to study law but ended up doing philosophy and never graduated
spent the next years reading and writing to the detriment of his health
By 23 he began his Treatise on Human nature which became one of the
most influential works in western philosophy
during his early life his career was not successful namely due to atheist
suspicion and near-accusations of heresy
heresy is being banned by religion based on the philosophers work
Historical writings and Philosophical Essays concerning Human
understanding eventually brought him fame in his own lifetime
passed on at 65 from abdominal cancer
Impressions and Ideas
own representations of knowledge
the mind creates an inner mental representation corresponding to the external
world
the mind does not directly perceive objects, rather it perceives
representations(impressions)of them
However there are difficulties inherent in ascribing any truth to perceptions or
impressions that are representations of what has been percieved
Because if truth is understood as the conformity/adequacy between the
image and the object
it would be impossible to establish truth in the objects of the world
since the only evidence one has of the world consists of internal
images
what can be understood by a representationalist theory?
that everything that exists around you is an impression/perception that
exists only in your mind
the problem is tha one might be one step removed from the real world,
the real world might not be the way it is represented in your mind
, you dont know if the external world exists
What is the unavailability of the external world?
also known as the veil of perception
although we have knowledge of the external world we dont know how
accurate these depictions are
Because objects only exist in our minds as representations it is impossible to
judge how faithfully mental impressions/ideas represent physical objects
therefore the external world is unavailible to us
However if knowledge is possible the source can only be sense experience
Hume was a skeptic
doubted whether knowledge of the external world was possible
criticized theories of perception (doubts even his own theory)
his own thought had strong representationalist leaning
What key understanding should one have on Hume's representationalist
theory?
If knowledge is real; it originates in the world
when we observe an object
the object causes us to have an impression on its properties in our
minds
an impression in our minds causes us to have knowledge of things
Ideas, Impressions and Knowledge
Involves Hume distinguishing between
impressions (experienced- Direct raw sensory information- caused by the
senses)
feeling a toothache
ideas (thoughts- reflections of impressions)
thinking about the pain/seeing an image/remembrance
what does knowledge entail for hume?
the comparison of one idea to another
legitimate ideas only
although the senses are the source of knowledge
one should possess knowledge through a rational process of reflection
1776 CE)
Context
Born to noble yet relatively poor family in Edinburgh, Scotland
Went to University of Edinburgh at age 10/12 (the norm was 14)
intended to study law but ended up doing philosophy and never graduated
spent the next years reading and writing to the detriment of his health
By 23 he began his Treatise on Human nature which became one of the
most influential works in western philosophy
during his early life his career was not successful namely due to atheist
suspicion and near-accusations of heresy
heresy is being banned by religion based on the philosophers work
Historical writings and Philosophical Essays concerning Human
understanding eventually brought him fame in his own lifetime
passed on at 65 from abdominal cancer
Impressions and Ideas
own representations of knowledge
the mind creates an inner mental representation corresponding to the external
world
the mind does not directly perceive objects, rather it perceives
representations(impressions)of them
However there are difficulties inherent in ascribing any truth to perceptions or
impressions that are representations of what has been percieved
Because if truth is understood as the conformity/adequacy between the
image and the object
it would be impossible to establish truth in the objects of the world
since the only evidence one has of the world consists of internal
images
what can be understood by a representationalist theory?
that everything that exists around you is an impression/perception that
exists only in your mind
the problem is tha one might be one step removed from the real world,
the real world might not be the way it is represented in your mind
, you dont know if the external world exists
What is the unavailability of the external world?
also known as the veil of perception
although we have knowledge of the external world we dont know how
accurate these depictions are
Because objects only exist in our minds as representations it is impossible to
judge how faithfully mental impressions/ideas represent physical objects
therefore the external world is unavailible to us
However if knowledge is possible the source can only be sense experience
Hume was a skeptic
doubted whether knowledge of the external world was possible
criticized theories of perception (doubts even his own theory)
his own thought had strong representationalist leaning
What key understanding should one have on Hume's representationalist
theory?
If knowledge is real; it originates in the world
when we observe an object
the object causes us to have an impression on its properties in our
minds
an impression in our minds causes us to have knowledge of things
Ideas, Impressions and Knowledge
Involves Hume distinguishing between
impressions (experienced- Direct raw sensory information- caused by the
senses)
feeling a toothache
ideas (thoughts- reflections of impressions)
thinking about the pain/seeing an image/remembrance
what does knowledge entail for hume?
the comparison of one idea to another
legitimate ideas only
although the senses are the source of knowledge
one should possess knowledge through a rational process of reflection
