Hume, Kant, and the Sea of Illusion, Essay Example

Rene Descartes meditations on first philosophy was a treatise that was compiled in Latin in the year 1641.  It comprises six meditations where Descartes establishes the disbelief in all things not absolutely certain and then defines what are absolutes or certainties. Descartes had two main goals when producing the meditations.  The first of these related to his desire to provide a sound basis for the development of scientific method.  He wished to demonstrate that the true source resided in knowledge and not the senses.  Secondly, that science and religion were not incompatible.  The compelling argument of dividing two types of substance i.e. that of mind and body.  This falls in the backdrop of this was the time of important scientists like Galileo and Descartes having a Jesuit religious background.

This ran somewhat contrary to the letter from Cardinal Bellermine who condemned the scientific findings of Copernicus and Galileo (appropriate to the planets orbiting the sun) and stating that this ran contrary to the teachings of the Holy Scripture that could not be disputed.  The church used its power and influence to try and contain scientific discovery such that it always fell in line with the scriptures.

Descartes put forward his arguments for Universal doubt. This being to demonstrate that science was based on a firm foundation based upon knowledge and the mind as opposed to the senses.  As such there is nothing that exists that is not capable of discovery or interpretation.  However, the knowledge of such matters through the senses is questionable and subject to doubt.  Descartes demonstrates this in three of his mediations i.e. the dream argument, the deceiving god argument and the evil demon argument.  (Descartes)

Descartes supported the scientific views of Galileo but wanted to place science in context with religion in terms that they could co-exist and indeed be even consistent with Christianity.   In the dream argument he perceived no differences from the dream state to the awake state and as such he could be dreaming right now and all of his perceptions are false.  In the God argument he stated that we believe in an all-powerful God and as such one that is capable of deceit and as such this deceit may be focused upon scientific knowledge and awareness. As such we could be deceived by the basic structure of the world.  The counter argument was based on the belief of an evil demon (devil) that was equally capable of the same deceit as God.

Descartes First certainty (the “cogito” argument) focuses upon the belief assumption that there is indeed a deceiver.  As such I am therefore deceived and by that premise it follows that I exist.  As such I cannot be deceived by the fact that I exist and therefore can perceive certain objects with specific characteristics hence: I think therefore I am.  Hence rationalising that the contents of the human mind are more discernible than the human body.  Descartes showed the concept of this by using a ball of wax and showed that as he brought the ball closer to the heat of the fire it changed properties but it was the same substance. In the third meditation Descartes describes God as a perfect being.  This concept of perfection exists in the belief of an idea. However, perfection cannot be the cause of the idea.  As such God exists in the concept of perfection of my idea that is formed of him.  From this basis with the understanding of the knowledge that God exists and that he is not a deceiver it now becomes possible to explain how material objects exist. Hence in Meditation four there are a number of key points that follow:

• God is no deceiver – he created me and gave me purpose and reason, ideas come from external things
• If they do not arrive from external objects, then God is a deceiver and this creates an absurdity
• Hence material objects exist.

Within the treatise of Human Nature David Hume  argues the point that every justifiable belief most be born from either a relation of ideas or a matter of fact. Hume considers that there are three unjustified beliefs we hold. Central to this is that of causation where he affirms that every event has an underpinning cause. As such on that basis we make predictions giving rise to universal causation.  Hume puts forward the premise that there are two main subject areas of knowledge i.e. relations of ideas based upon mathematics and logic and that of pure facts.  He puts this into the following matrix

Hume considers that the natural features of the memory and imagination are characterised by the products which are indeed illusions.  As such the proceeds that seek to determine causation are based upon these products and therefore are an illusion.  Hume states that such illusions give rise to both absurdities and errors and as such we need to be careful how much we follow such principles.  (Thielke).

Hume was one of the philosophers noted for his use of induction and powers of reasoning. It is considered that from this arose most of his areas of skepticism.  Hume used his power of reasoning and deduction from his acute power of observation. He believed that human are born with an inherent capability for the power of rational reasoning and deduction.

Hume argues  that it is not possible to deduce the cause of something by purely examining that event in isolation.  You must first examine the object but at this stage you cannot infer causation. Hence causation is the relationship between two objects or events.  As such you cannot obtain knowledge of causation without first understanding  the basis of relationship between one or more objects. Without this you cannot form the ideas of causation from the sources.  (Beebee)

Humes problem of causation remained unsolved for over 200 years and this ultimately led to the science of post-modernism. Efforts were made by such famous philosophers as Kant and Popper to find a solution  but only partial solutions were found.  The results stemming from Humes problem of causation cast doubts on the concepts of certainty in science and the belief in the possibility of metaphysics.  Kant builds his arguments on the basis of logical deduction and therefore it may be criticised in terms of the foundations upon which it is built.  The problem with this is that disparities may surface between the cracks of reasoning and logic.  This is the concept of our feelings and emotions. Kant’s Categorical Imperative theory is where a specific action and situation is defined and Kant’s theory is applied against this.

Humes was essentially an empiricist and as such his religious views aligned with that of Hobbes.  Hence we have no concept or idea of God.  Everything we imagine is finite and as such God is infinite. Hence God is incomprehensible to us.  As such the concepts of god are all derived from the human mind and imagination, in this sense it lacks any grounding in reality.  Hume’s views are therefore taken into context with the controversy that surrounds the views of Hobbes and the early 18^th century philosophical debate on religion.   (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Works Cited

Beebee, Helen. Hume on Causation. New York: Routledge, 2006. Book.

Descartes, Rene. Meditations. New York: Cosimo Inc, 2008.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Hume on Religion. 2005. 5 7 2012.

Thielke, Peter. “Hume, Kant, and the Sea of Illusion.” Hume Studies Volume XXVIX, Number 1 (2003): 63-88. Journal.