In Our Time David Hume
Oct 6, 2011
David Hume, a key figure in the Scottish Enlightenment, was discussed by Melvyn Bragg and guests. They explored Hume's empiricist beliefs, skeptical views on religion, and his influence on prominent thinkers. Topics included human nature, morality, and Hume's lasting impact on philosophy.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Passions Overrule Pure Reason
- The Treatise aimed to explain human nature by analysing reason and the passions as foundational faculties.
- Hume argued passions drive action while reason plays a largely instrumental role.
Empiricism And Limits Of Knowledge
- Hume's empiricism holds that ideas come from sensory experience, not innate knowledge, limiting certain knowledge about the external world.
- He distinguishes relations of ideas (certain, a priori) from matters of fact (empirical and never certain).
The Problem Of Induction
- Hume problematised induction: predictions rely on assuming the unobserved resembles the observed, an assumption without rational justification.
- He shows experience alone cannot logically justify belief in future regularities.