An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

A study of the human mind is the title under which the book An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding by David Hume in the German-speaking area has become known. When first published in London in 1748 was the title of the epistemological writing, nor Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding. Was Accordingly, the first German translation, published in 1755 in Hamburg and Leipzig, overwritten Philosophical experiments on the human knowledge. Another title was a German translation examination in Subject of the human mind, for example, in 1869, translated by Julius von Kirchmann.

While Hume was sharply criticized for his writing on the part of school metaphysics, he suggested important changes in the following philosophy. The editor of the German edition, Johann Georg Sulzer, even supporters of Christian Wolff and by no means a skeptic like Hume, described this as a " benefactor of philosophy ", according to its critics, the field of metaphysics can be ordered new. Immanuel Kant went a step further by the requirement for a critical examination of the possibilities of knowledge derived from Hume's skepticism, which led him to his critical philosophy.

Content

General presentation

The book, which is one of the most important works of Hume, consists of twelve essays that take up themes from the first work of Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature ( A Treatise of Human Nature), again. After the extensive 1739/40, published writing had little success, simplified Hume for the Enquiry form and put some other priorities. In one of the most popular German-language editions, the twelve sections are overwritten as follows:

1 essay

With the aim of critical metaphysics ( first essay ) formulated Hume the basic assumptions of his philosophy of consciousness and knowledge, according to which only " impressions " ( impressions) may be the cause of " ideas " ( ideas ) and simple ideas of the human mind to are put together complex ideas (2nd essay ). This association runs according to the third essay on the basis of similarity of spatial and temporal proximity and causality ( " resemblance, contiguity and causation .") This Hume illustrated in the published editions to 1768 with an extensive, later omitted section, which deals with links between ideas in the literature, especially in historiography, epic and dramatic, deals. It should be dominant both in historiography and in the epic poem the relation of cause and effect.

Only the relationships between ideas may however be certain, while the relationships between facts, which are always so experienced only conveys impressions, never come true with necessity. It follows that, according to Hume's understanding of causality can be determined only with a certain probability between cause and effect always, never with absolute certainty. " One event follows another; but we never can observe any tie between them. " We will not accept, after some experience, but out of habit as the cause of another thing, which we have several times that previously observed. The rejection of absolute security in favor of mere probability Hume extends to all statements, even on purely rational judgments.

Skepticism

This step leads Hume to deal with the skepticism, whose most radical form he refuses as Pyrrhonism ( 4 -7 Essay 12 Essay. ): The Commission acknowledges that the radical skepticism about a Pyrrho of Elis (ca. 360-270 BC ) is not refuted epistemologically, but it is useless in practice, and therefore could not convince. Hume represents instead a moderate form (→ skepticism # David Hume ), which he calls " academic skepticism " is the name as it was first represented by members of the Academy of Plato in Athens, from Arcesilaus (ca. 315-240 BC) and Carneades of Cyrene (ca. 215-130 BC), followed by Cicero ( 106-43 BC).

Freedom and determinism

Hume's reflections on freedom and determinism in the eighth essay set the stage for the analytical philosophy in the 20th century by reducing the related argument of the philosophers on a question of words and two different perspectives: could declare an act causally While the historian (of course only with a certain probability ), the agent can perceive its decision as free and undetermined itself.

Even animals learn by observation and experience, according to Hume, by habit and ultimately faith. It is that which is considered peculiar than the animals, their instinct, not so extraordinary as compared to people: Hume holds " even our rational activity on the basis of experience that we have in common with the animals and on which depends the whole of life, [ for ] nothing but a kind of instinct or mechanical power [ ... ]. The instincts may be different, but it's an instinct, " the people and animals in the practical conduct of life is useful ( 9 essay ).

Criticism of religion

Famous is Hume's critique of the belief in miracles ( 10 essay ), which he builds out that he defined miracles as a violation of natural laws, which is impossible. He then criticized the reliability of historical miracle testimonies, and thus presents approaches to source criticism of the modern science of history.

His eleventh essay in this volume already indicates originally created in the 1750s, but only posthumously published Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion ( Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion ): proofs of God and theodicy lead for Hume in aporia, the positive social impact of religion could be to accept their justification, unless superstition and fanaticism negate this utility.

Hume concludes with the requirement to assess the existing knowledge stocks based on his skeptical principles again, by every band on two questions - especially the theological and metaphysical literature - body:

" Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning a size or number? No. Does it contain any one based on empirical reasoning about facts and existence? No. Well, throw him into the fire, because it can contain nothing but illusion and deception. "