Hume's Skepticism

Of the Origin of Ideas Two classes of perceptions: Impressions and Ideas Impressions = forceful, lively perceptions Ideas = either simple or complex; memories of perceptions The Principle of the Priority of Impressions The Problem of the Blue Patch as an exception Why would Hume produce a counterexample to his own principle? Of the Association of Ideas: Three ways of connection among ideas: 1. Resemblance 2. Contiguity in time or place 3. Cause and Effect Skeptical Doubts Concerning the Operations of the Understanding Two ways of knowing: Relations of Ideas Matters of Fact Into which of these categories do cause-effect relationships fall? Constant Conjunction vs. Necessary Connection · That reason judges only matters of fact and relations. This distinction is found in Hume's epistemology, in which he argues that reason is impotent to judge or determine anything regarding issues that are not either relations of ideas or matters of fact. This distinction can be seen in his argument that the principles of universal causation and nature's uniformity are not grounded in reason. They are, instead, objects of faith or belief. The argument runs, generally, as follows: 1. All the objects of human reason are either relations of ideas or matters of fact. The distinction here is between necessary truths and contingent truths. 2. The principle of nature's uniformity, that the future will resemble the past, is not a relation of ideas because its denial is conceivable. It is conceivable that the future will not resemble the past. 3. Therefore, the PNU must be a matter of fact, i.e., it must be verifiable in our experience. 4. But, the PNU is not a matter of fact, since it can never be verified in our experience. That is, there is no guarantee that the future will resemble the past. 5. Therefore, the PNU is not an object of our reason or knowledge. The question now remains what it is. Hume asserts that it must be an object of belief or faith since it is not grounded on reasoning or any process of human understanding. We believe strongly through custom and habit that the future will resemble the past. Why is the Principle of Nature's Uniformity (the PNU) not an object of knowledge? How does Hume define 'cause'? 1. An object, followed by another, and where all objects, similar to the first, are followed by objects similar to the second. This is based only on observation of ordered pairs and does not have to do with our expectations. 2. An object followed by another, and whose appearance always conveys the thought of that other. The psychological component - expectation. Custom and Habit are NOT the same as NECESSARY CONNECTION.