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107 reviews for:
Enquiries Concerning the Human Understanding: And Concerning the Principles of Morals
David Hume
3.77 AVERAGE
107 reviews for:
Enquiries Concerning the Human Understanding: And Concerning the Principles of Morals
David Hume
3.77 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
reflective
informative
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding is both the ultimate skeptic's bible and a great introduction to epistemology. Hume's adoption and application of Descartian doubt leads him to "the problem of induction," a proposition stating that all inductive reasoning can at best only justify itself through circular logic and false premises. Stated differently, Hume shows that it is impossible for all acquired knowledge, what he calls "matter of fact knowledge" to be proven through reason. Hume's "solution" to this radical philosophical conundrum is to just live life pleasantly and in service of positive emotions and feeling. Reason ought to serve the needs and desires that emerge from within us, and not the other way around.
The book is short, but dense. Hume is a very witty and funny writer who manages to keep things fresh with his many sub-chapters on animals, education, miracles, probability and even reflections on the popular philosophies of his time.
The book is short, but dense. Hume is a very witty and funny writer who manages to keep things fresh with his many sub-chapters on animals, education, miracles, probability and even reflections on the popular philosophies of his time.
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
“Destroying everything really effects nothing”
Hume really woke up and said “all knowledge is based on a single assumption…lol whelp what can ya do”
Hume really woke up and said “all knowledge is based on a single assumption…lol whelp what can ya do”
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
This book should be a required in every high school in America. The first half of the book is a guide on reaching an optimal judgement, starting with a detailed breakdown of what knowledge actually is, and how “cause and effect” doesn’t actually exist but is rather just experience and custom. The second half of the book is mostly a relentless teardown of religion, miracles, and any theistic-based philosophy. I had never seen religion so completely dismantled from someone who came along in the 1700s.