Chapter 8Chapter 8

HUMEHUME

How does the mind/body problem reveal a partial How does the mind/body problem reveal a partial incoherence within Cartesian metaphysics? In incoherence within Cartesian metaphysics? In

what ways does David Hume turn away from the what ways does David Hume turn away from the assumptions of Cartesian philosophy? From assumptions of Cartesian philosophy? From where does knowledge of the world originate where does knowledge of the world originate

according to Hume? How does the mind according to Hume? How does the mind organize simple ideas into complex ideas? Why organize simple ideas into complex ideas? Why does Hume think that ideas like causation, God, does Hume think that ideas like causation, God, and the self are nonsense? What is the basis of and the self are nonsense? What is the basis of

morality according to Hume?morality according to Hume?

Empiricism Made PuzzlingEmpiricism Made Puzzling

The Mind/Body ProblemThe Mind/Body Problem

Do you think that your mind affects your Do you think that your mind affects your body? Do you think your arms move body? Do you think your arms move

because you decided that they would?because you decided that they would?

Can the body produce effects on the mind? Can the body produce effects on the mind? Do you experience pain when your body is Do you experience pain when your body is

hurt?hurt?

But how could this beBut how could this be, if the mind and body , if the mind and body are different substances? are different substances?

HowHow can something physical interact with can something physical interact with something that is immaterial?something that is immaterial?

MaterialismMaterialismThomas Hobbes held that only the material Thomas Hobbes held that only the material

world existed.world existed.

Mind as Myth!Mind as Myth!

Recall the myths discussed in Chapter 1. Recall the myths discussed in Chapter 1. Could our talk about mental phenomena Could our talk about mental phenomena

by similar to myths—talk about something by similar to myths—talk about something that, at best, doesn’t really exist on its that, at best, doesn’t really exist on its own, or, at worst, doesn’t exist at all?own, or, at worst, doesn’t exist at all?

Is the mind a myth?Is the mind a myth?

What happens to people after they die?What happens to people after they die?

What view MUST you reject if you are a What view MUST you reject if you are a materialist?materialist?

Do you think you have free will?Do you think you have free will?

COULD you have free will if materialism is COULD you have free will if materialism is true?true?

Are you really just a machine made Are you really just a machine made

largely of meat?largely of meat?

Berkeley and IdealismBerkeley and Idealism

Look around you, touch your desk, listen to Look around you, touch your desk, listen to the sounds in the classroom. the sounds in the classroom.

What do you experience? What do you experience?

Do you experience a desk that is Do you experience a desk that is independent of your mind… or just the independent of your mind… or just the

experience of such a desk?experience of such a desk?

If the latter…. If the latter….

Why believe that there is a Why believe that there is a physical desk there at all? physical desk there at all?

How would the world appear to How would the world appear to you if it consisted only of you if it consisted only of

ideas? ideas?

BerkeleyBerkeley

Is mind the only Is mind the only substance that substance that

there is?there is?

OccasionalismOccasionalismProposed by Arnold Geulincx and Nicholas Proposed by Arnold Geulincx and Nicholas

MalebranceMalebrance

Why believe that when you desire to move Why believe that when you desire to move your arm and your arm moves, your mind your arm and your arm moves, your mind

is causing your arm to move?is causing your arm to move?

Do you Do you experienceexperience such causation… or such causation… or merely merely inferinfer it? it?

Meat Puppets?Meat Puppets?

Maybe you’re just a puppet made of meat.Maybe you’re just a puppet made of meat.

But then…. Who would be the puppeteer?But then…. Who would be the puppeteer?

This is all weird.This is all weird.

Aren’t mind and body both real, and isn’t it Aren’t mind and body both real, and isn’t it obvious that they interact?obvious that they interact?

LeibnizLeibniz

All matter has the quality of extension. All matter has the quality of extension.

Imagine something extended, like a line. Imagine something extended, like a line. Can it be divided into smaller bits? Can Can it be divided into smaller bits? Can

these bits be divided—and so on? these bits be divided—and so on?

If this is the case, can there really be a basic If this is the case, can there really be a basic material substance, or not? material substance, or not?

So, what is the basic substance of the So, what is the basic substance of the universe, if it’s not matter? universe, if it’s not matter?

Mind?Mind?

But this doesn’t solve the mind-body But this doesn’t solve the mind-body problem.problem.

MONADSMONADSCould the basic substance of the universe be neither mind nor Could the basic substance of the universe be neither mind nor

matter, but something that encompasses qualities of both?matter, but something that encompasses qualities of both?

SpinozaSpinoza

Can you imagine a color floating in the air?Can you imagine a color floating in the air?

Why not?Why not?

What sort of thing could be self-subsistent?What sort of thing could be self-subsistent?

Could we sense it? Could we sense it?

Why, or why not?Why, or why not?

What thing could all things be dependent What thing could all things be dependent upon, and which is not itself dependent on upon, and which is not itself dependent on

anything else?anything else?

ApplesApples

Is sweetness in the Is sweetness in the apple?apple?

Is redness in the apple?Is redness in the apple?

MONISMMONISM

Could mind and body Could mind and body exist together like the exist together like the

sweetness and redness sweetness and redness of an apple?of an apple?

If so, what would be the If so, what would be the “Big Apple”?“Big Apple”?

Rationalism vs. EmpiricismRationalism vs. Empiricism

All knowledge can be All knowledge can be grounded with grounded with certainty in the certainty in the

necessary relations of necessary relations of innate ideasinnate ideas

All ideas come to us All ideas come to us through our senses.through our senses.

John Locke’s EmpiricismJohn Locke’s Empiricism

Do you have any ideas in your mind that Do you have any ideas in your mind that haven’t come to you from experience?haven’t come to you from experience?

Apples again!Apples again!

When you bite into an apple, what do you When you bite into an apple, what do you experience? Redness, sweetness, experience? Redness, sweetness,

crunchiness?crunchiness?

Do you experience the “apple” that these Do you experience the “apple” that these qualities inhere in?qualities inhere in?

Or do you just experience these qualities?Or do you just experience these qualities?

Does this mean that we can never Does this mean that we can never experience the “ultimate reality” of apples?experience the “ultimate reality” of apples?

What do What do youyou think—and why? think—and why?

HUMEHUME

Where do you Where do you think your think your

knowledge of knowledge of the external the external world comes world comes

from?from?

Mental associationsMental associations

When you think of Harvard, what other When you think of Harvard, what other schools do you naturally think of?schools do you naturally think of?

When you think of canned soup on a When you think of canned soup on a supermarket shelf, do you think of soda or supermarket shelf, do you think of soda or

microwaveable noodles?microwaveable noodles?

When you imagine a wound, what do you then When you imagine a wound, what do you then think of?think of?

Mental AssociationsMental AssociationsDoes your mind connect ideas together Does your mind connect ideas together

naturally?naturally?

KnowledgeKnowledge

Relations of ideasRelations of ideas

Have you ever gained Have you ever gained knowledge from knowledge from

inspecting the relations inspecting the relations that hold between the that hold between the

ideas in your memory?ideas in your memory?

Matters of factMatters of fact

Have you ever gained Have you ever gained knowledge from knowledge from

reasoning about cause reasoning about cause and effect?and effect?

Cause and EffectCause and Effect

Have you ever Have you ever seenseen a necessary connection a necessary connection between something you believe to be a between something you believe to be a

cause and something you believe to be its cause and something you believe to be its effect?effect?

If not… how do you know it is there?If not… how do you know it is there?

A simple question?A simple question?

Do you believe that the sun will rise Do you believe that the sun will rise tomorrow?tomorrow?

WHY?WHY?

Do you think that the future will resemble the Do you think that the future will resemble the past? past?

Why? Why?

What’s wrong with claiming that it will What’s wrong with claiming that it will because it has done in the pastbecause it has done in the past? ?

GrueGrue

““Grue” is an odd type of color. Something is Grue” is an odd type of color. Something is grue if it is green before January 1grue if it is green before January 1stst, 2015, , 2015,

and blue afterwards.and blue afterwards.

Is the grass growing on campus green, or Is the grass growing on campus green, or grue?grue?

How do you know?How do you know?

God?God?

Where did you get your idea of God from? Where did you get your idea of God from?

Have you ever Have you ever experiencedexperienced God directly? God directly?

What proof do you then have of What proof do you then have of His existence?His existence?

Enough about God. What about Enough about God. What about YOU?YOU?

Have you ever experienced your self Have you ever experienced your self directly? directly?

Really? Really?

Or have you just experienced perceptions, Or have you just experienced perceptions, rather than the (alleged) perceiver?rather than the (alleged) perceiver?

Do you even exist Do you even exist as an entity that persists as an entity that persists through time?through time?

Why believe as you do?Why believe as you do?

Empirical skepticism!Empirical skepticism!

No God? No self? No cause and effect?No God? No self? No cause and effect?

What What cancan a Humean know? a Humean know?

CannibalismCannibalism

Is it always wrong? Is it ever wrong?Is it always wrong? Is it ever wrong?

WHY?WHY?

MoralityMorality

What’s the point of morality? What’s the point of morality?

Is it opposed to one’s self-interest?Is it opposed to one’s self-interest?

Hume and Wondrous DistressHume and Wondrous Distress

Is being a “Scottish wrecking ball” a good Is being a “Scottish wrecking ball” a good thing? thing?

Isn’t it admirable for a person to pursue Isn’t it admirable for a person to pursue arguments wherever they might arguments wherever they might lead—lead—even if they undermine your deepest even if they undermine your deepest

and most cherished convictionsand most cherished convictions??

How can we know…How can we know…

……that all knowledge is rooted in sensory that all knowledge is rooted in sensory experience?experience?