Humean Empiricism
All knowledge comes from experience or perception.
The Humean Mind
The mind is nothing more than a "bundle of perceptions".
Perception
- Perceptions are derived from sensation or reflection.
- Some perceptions, or impressions which are derived from sensation, are lively and vigorous.
- Other perceptions, or ideas which are derived from reflection, are dim and feeble.
- Ideas may be simple or complex, and complex ideas are composed of simple ideas by certain associations.
- Simple ideas are derived from or are 'copies' of impressions.
Association of Ideas
Ideas may be associated in three fundamental ways:
- Resemblance
- Contiguity
- Cause and Effect
Problems for Hume
- How do we explain the relationship between a given bundle of perceptions and a given body?
- How do we explain what makes a given perception part of one bundle of perceptions and not another?