21 July 2004 Lecture Summary

Instead of an ordinary lecture, we did (after a brief introduction to Hume) a guided reading of Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Sections I - III. We devoted considerable attention to the following topics:

* The distinction, in Section I, between the two types of philosophy, how Hume thinks they are related to each other, and how they both relate to what he is doing in the Enquiry.

* The division of perceptions into ideas and impressions (according to force or vivacity), and why the missing shade of blue is not really a problem.

* The principle that all ideas are copies of impressions from which they derive, and what role this plays in Hume's method of philosophizing.

* The principles of association: Resemblance, Contiguity in time and place, and Cause/Effect.

Further Information: Here is another opinion on the missing shade of blue, that has some similarity to my own, although I don't agree with everything in the set up or the evaluation.

For Fun: Check out the Hume 'action figure' here.