Soc Core Midterm Section C

(15) What does Hume think should be removed from the libraries and burned? Why?

"If we take in our hand any volume, of divinity or school metaphysics, for instance, let us ask, Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence? No. Commit it then to the flames: for it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion." From final paragraph

(10) How did the rat trap discussion in class illustrate Hume's skeptical solution to the problem of induction?

Custom, intuition Similar to answer above, understanding of causal knowledge and inductive reasoning

(17) In what sense is Hume an empirical psychologist? What is his scientific method?

Empiricist: foundation of all sig human knowledge and belief is sense experience, essentially common sense He is an empirical psychologist bc he tried to figure out how the mind works by looking at his own ideas/using his own common sense Scientific method is observing the world through his senses to learn cause and effect relationships

(2) Why does Hume believe that (almost) every simple idea is merely a copy of prior impression? What are ideas and impressions for Hume?

He believes every simple idea is a copy of an impression bc we form all our beliefs from our experiences Impressions are our sensory experiences and ideas are us recalling those ideas and we can combine ideas to form new impressions Can imagine a gold mountain by recalling seeing the color gold and a mountain and combining the two but it's not a new idea, only a combo

(3) According to Hume, what are the sources of our ideas? What were his arguments for this conclusion?

Hume argued that all of our knowledge comes from experience and comprehending the relationships between supposed causes and effects. An example provided is if one came into contact with a pond despite never seeing one, they would not understand the consequences of jumping into it via meditation, but rather by jumping in and experiencing drowning. This is how he justifies the claim that we do not utilize reason the way we think we do and instead act based on custom, despite the fact that it is not rationally justified.

(1) What is the distinction Hume made between impressions and ideas?

Hume believes ideas are faint copies of impressions Justified through inductive argument Impressions - perceptions from sense experiences Ex. hearing someone's voice Ideas - "faint copies" of our impressions, less vivacity and force Ex. trying to remember what that person's voice sounds like

(16) Explain Hume's distinction between seeing humans as essentially active beings in contrast to seeing humans as essentially reasonable beings. Why doesn't Hume care much about reason ultimately?

Hume doesn't believe that humans are essentially reasonable being who have no rat just for their actions. He doesn't think there's a pure divine light in us that guides our actions. He compares us to animals who do things simply out of custom based on our experiences. His result from his investigations is skepticism so he is fine not caring for reason.

(11) Given his skeptical solution to the problem of induction, what is the final status of Hume's own psychological theory of human nature? Is it rationally justified? Explain. What is the problem of reflection for Hume's theory of knowledge? That is, what is the status of Hume's own account of knowledge on the assumption that his account is right, and might someone take this status to be a potential problem for Hume? How might Hume respond to this problem?

Hume doesn't believe there is rat just for anything bc we are creatures of nature not of reason. We do things based off of custom but there is no justified reason. Status of his own psychological theory? Problem of reflection He's screwed, you can't use reason so just stick with nature Why we should be skeptical about induction yet he uses induction himself=problem! Gives explanation of his own belief

(8) What is the problem of induction? Why does this problem make it impossible to have knowledge concerning any natural laws (if knowledge is true justified belief)?

Hume's Problem of Induction: All induction assumes that the future will be like the past. Need to find good reason why the past is a good guide for the future. Reasoning bound to be circular Circular justification is no justification at all All we can rely on is the past and only tells you what the future is like on the assumption that the past is a good guide for the future No reason to believe the future is like the past We don't know that a rock will fall if we drop it until we actually do it, just bc it happened for centuries doesn't mean it'll still do it tomorrow

(9) Explain Hume's skeptical resolution to the problem of induction. Be sure to include a discussion of the role played by such notions as reason, instinct, custom, habit, and sentiment.

Hume's skeptical resolution is essentially that the persistent skeptic is right, we do not have rational justification for actions "justified" via induction. However, this is not necessarily the end of the world. Reason is only a small part of what it means to be a multidimensional human and this newfound notion that we are not as rational as we think should not affect us. As a matter of fact (lol), Hume declares that once we leave the classroom/stop focusing on his argument, we will go right back to thinking the way we always have: via customs. Custom is a practical solution/brute fact of how the human mind works and responds to situations due ot our understanding of cause and effect (inductive reasoning). This is the very reason why when you throw a brick at the persistent skeptic, he/she will duck despite lacking rational justification for doing so. This shows how we are much like animals in the sense that we act on instinct rather than reason and are not as superior as we think we are. Custom is part of sentiment/emotion and creates a feeling of danger, this still has nothing to do with reason.

(6) Why, according to Hume, must all knowledge concerning matters of fact be grounded in the relation of cause and effect?

Matters of Fact must be grounded in relation of cause and effect because that is how you get inductive knowledge of the world. You view the relationship as one thing happens after another but this only comes with experience (a posteriori). If you jump into a pond and don't know how to swim, you won't know for a matter of fact that you'll die bc you haven't experienced it yet.

(7) Did Hume think we could have deductive knowledge of cause and effect? Why or why not? Can we have any rational justification whatsoever for our inferences concerning this relation? What does this mean for the possibility of knowledge concerning matters of fact and real existence (if knowledge is true rationally justified belief)?

No, because the past is not indicative of the future and there is no rational justification for believing such. Matters of fact often have explanations but not justifications. Matters of fact are not knowledge.

(12) Why might Hume think that his theory of human nature will be believed by the reader?

People believe Newton's laws even though they are matters of fact and lack rat just but that is not a good enough reason to not believe Newton's laws. So it's okay if he has no rat just you should still believe him b

(4) What are the two types of "objects of human reason and enquiry" for Hume? Explain the nature of each. Which one provides us with knowledge (rational justification)?

Relations of Ideas and Matters of Fact Relations of Ideas are rationally justified, mathematically infallible pieces of knowledge, ie a triangle has 3 sides, etc. (A PRIORI, does not require experience) Ex. Geometry/ Bachelors are unmarried Matters of Fact are psychologically formed beliefs based on experience. This is found via cause/effect (A POSTERIORI, requires experience) Ex. rock will fall when released in midair.

(5) What are Hume's three laws of mental association? Explain each. It what sense does Hume take his project to be analogous to Newton's?

Three mental associations Resemblance: a picture resembles the original Contiguity: continue/space temporal connection, deals with space/time Cause & effect: think of one then you wonder about the other Tries to get three laws just like Newton Wants to be the newton of psychology Observes patterns in human nature=Newton observing natural phenomena

(13) What might Hume ultimately say to the persistent skeptic? What do you think of this reply?

You are correct, there is not rational justification for actions based on matter of fact/inductive reasoning. This is fair, as there is no way to obtain foundational knowledge that could also lead to a logical sequence of knowledge-based epiphanies (like Descartes tried to do)