Hume and Knowledge Creation - 766 Words

Hume and knowledge creation The dominant work by Hume was his A Treatise of Human Nature, in this work he attempted to construct a science of man that contrasted with the ideas of Descartes and other enlightenment thinkers. The pillar of Humes divergence was anchoring knowledge in empiricism rather than rationality. Hume argued that desire instead of rationality was the foundation of human nature. This essential departure from his peers is important to understanding the work of Hume. In this essay the contribution of Hume to knowledge creation would be briefly discussed and excerpts from A Treatise of Human Nature used to support the arguments made in his work. The idea of empirical knowledge differs sharply from other forms of knowledge not only in content but more in logic. Empirical knowledge tends to be created using deductive reasoning rather than inductive reasoning. In fact much of the scientific methodology depends heavily on deductive reasoning and quantitative methodology for knowledge construction. It is at this point an important contribution of Hume is noted. Hume with strong logic addresses the problem of induction and thus gives life to deduction (Burton 1846). Hume examines the challenges with human reasoning when he considers the problem with induction. The inductive problem is derived from the mechanisms through which a specific type of knowledge is created. With inductive reasoning the present behavior of objects are used to project futureShow MoreRelatedThe Relationship Between Religion And Science1339 Words   |  6 Pagesand religion give the same kind of knowledge, thus competing with one another. The alternate view is that they give different kinds of knowledge, thereby complementing one another. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was an Italian scientist who addressed this issue. A bit later, the English philosopher David Hume (1711-1776) similarly discussed the kinds of knowledge that can be obtained from religion and science. This paper will consider the views of Galileo and Hume on the subject and will argue thatRead MoreEssay The Teleological Argument1368 Words   |  6 Pagesthe teleological argument, or the argument from design. Arguments from design are arguments concerning God or some type of creator’s existence ba sed on the ideas of order or purpose in universe. Hume takes on the approach of arguing against the argument of design, while Paley argues for it. Although Hume and Paley both provide very strong arguments, a conclusion will be drawn at the end to distinguish which philosophiser holds a stronger position. 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IfRead More Port of Ostia During a Tempest by Leonardo Carlo Coccorante Essay1564 Words   |  7 Pageslimited-in-scope perspective, the Groom’s painting provided as wide a universe of knowledge as the Coccarante piece. But what is the process involved in taking these observations and manipulating them into ideas and then critiques and then even further into analysis? A certain branch of philosophy, called epistemology, deals with knowledge—more specifically with the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge. Even though there is a large amount of philosophers that study within this branchRead MoreThe Arguement for Gods Existance in Hume’s essay, Why Does God Let People Suffer1630 Words   |  7 Pageslive in with all the pain and suffering that goes on. Hume suggests that an all powerful God, such as the one most believe in, would not allow a world to exist with this much pain and suffering that goes on daily. Moreover, Hume basically argues that the existence of God is something that cannot be proven in the way in which scientists look for and gather proof about other scientific issues. In the following essay, I will demonstrate how David Hume feels that there is a God despite all the sufferingRead MoreAnalysis of Suicide by David Hume Essay919 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of Of Suicide by David Hume I believe that no man ever threw away life, while it was worth keeping. In David Humes essay Of Suicide, the philosophical argument of justified suicide is pursued. However, the underlying argument focuses on the injustification of the government and society condemning and forbidding such an action and the creation of superstitions and falsehoods of religion and God. Hume argues that the last phases that a person goes through before taking his