PH 202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Ethics, Experimental Psychology
12 May 2018
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Notes for Day 18
Hume and Locke are empiricists
David Hume (1711-1776)
John Locke is a predecessor of David Hume in terms of the work they created
They both wrote about their theories of human understanding
Both Hume and Locke write the same thing
Hume titles everything the same way as Locke did
The reason why Hume wrote these types of books on similar topics is because Locke is an inspiration to
Hume and Hume may think that Locke missed something in his writing that fell short of the empiricist
form
Hume's Goal: the science of human nature
He connects all sciences back to the science of human nature
All human knowledge goes back to the science of human nature
What is the nature of the mind, what can human beings know (these questions are pertinent to human
nature)
Metaphysics, physics, and the sciences follow this idea regarding the science of human nature
Metaphysics is referring to the science of human nature
To Descartes, the science of human nature is referred to as a demonstrative science
Physics and mathematics falls under this demonstrative science
For Locke, knowledge requires certainty
Intuitive and demonstrative knowledge
A demonstrative knowledge is a demonstrative science
For Locke, morality and consciouness are part of the demonstrative science
According to Locke, the concept of bodies or physical objects does not fall under any science
Physics doesn't fall under the concept of demonstrative science
The same thing goes for psychology because we can't understand what a substance is, we don't know
what a substance is
To Hume, if all sciences are tied back to the science of human nature, then we have to understand the
concept of human nature
We also have to determine whether the science of human nature is an experimental or demonstrative
science: to Hume, it is an experimental science
And as the science of man is the-only solid foundation for the other sciences, so the only solid
foundation we can give to this science itself must be laid on experience and observation.
For Hume, to understand human nature, you can't do it by reason alone, he requires observation and
experimentation
Moral philosophy has, indeed, this peculiar disadvantage, which is not found in natural, that in
collecting its experiments, it cannot make them purposely, with premeditation, and after such a
aer as to satisfy itself oerig eery partiular diffiulty hih ay e. […] We ust
therefore glean up our experiments in this science from a cautious observation of human life, and
take them as they appear i the oo ourse of the orld, y e’s ehaiour i opay, i
affairs, and in their pleasures. Where experiments of this kind are judiciously collected and
compared, we may hope to establish on them a science which will not be inferior in certainty, and
will be much superior in utility to any other of human comprehension.
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Document Summary
John locke is a predecessor of david hume in terms of the work they created. They both wrote about their theories of human understanding. Both hume and locke write the same thing. Hume titles everything the same way as locke did. The reason why hume wrote these types of books on similar topics is because locke is an inspiration to. Hume and hume may think that locke missed something in his writing that fell short of the empiricist form. He connects all sciences back to the science of human nature. All human knowledge goes back to the science of human nature. What is the nature of the mind, what can human beings know (these questions are pertinent to human nature) Metaphysics, physics, and the sciences follow this idea regarding the science of human nature. Metaphysics is referring to the science of human nature. To descartes, the science of human nature is referred to as a demonstrative science.
