Big Ideas
The First Big Idea
One of the big ideas discussed by Hume in the Enquiry is the notion that all knowledge is derived from experience. The author takes this position because Hume’s philosophy is characterized by his skepticism towards knowledge and his empiricist approach. He argues that nothing can be known to be true unless it is self-evident or based on experience (Hume 3).
For Hume, the mind is a blank slate at birth, and all knowledge is derived from sensory experience. He famously stated that “all our ideas or more feeble perceptions are copies of our impressions or more lively ones” (Hume 3). Hume’s distinction between impressions and ideas is important because it challenges traditional views of knowledge, which hold that people have innate ideas independent of their experiences. In this case, the first big idea that permeates the work is essential to Hume since it is based on the human mind’s essence and the interrelation of ideas, experiences, and perceptions.
The Second Big Idea
The second big idea in Hume’s Enquiry is the problem of induction, which revolves around the idea that past experiences cannot be relied on to predict future events with absolute certainty. Hume takes this position because he believes that “all inferences from experience […] are effects of custom, not of reasoning” (Hume 12). This means that human belief in cause and effect is not based on logical reasoning but rather on the customs and habits people have developed over time.
Hume proceeds to argue that inductive reasoning, which is the process of using past experiences to predict future events, is founded on an unjustified assumption and that “custom, then, is the great guide of human life” (Hume 12). He believes that people cannot logically infer that the future will resemble the past and that human belief in causality is merely based on habit and custom rather than on any rational principles (Hume 12). Therefore, the idea is essential to the author because it challenges the foundations of human beliefs and knowledge.
Primary Text
“And it is certain we here advance a very intelligible proposition at least, if not a true one, when we assert that, after the constant conjunction of two objects—heat and flame, for instance, weight and solidity—we are determined by custom alone to expect the one from the appearance of the other. This hypothesis seems even the only one that explains the difficulty, why we draw, from a thousand instances, an inference which we cannot draw from one instance, that is, in no respect, different from them.
Reason is incapable of any such variation. The conclusions it draws from considering one circle are the same as those that it would form upon surveying all the circles in the universe. But no man, having seen only one body move after being impelled by another, could infer that every other body will move after a like impulse. Therefore, all inferences from experience are effects of custom, not reasoning” (Hume 12).
Analysis of Primary Text
The Main Idea of the Key Passage
The main argument in the given passage is that knowledge is not based on reason but on habit. Hume argues that human beliefs are not based on logical deductions but on people’s experiences and the regularities they observe. As the author supports his argument, humans can see the “constant conjunction of two objects—heat and flame, for instance, weight and solidity” (Hume 12).
In this case, Hume desires to illustrate the surrounding examples to prove his assertion. By being constantly exposed to such phenomena, humans learn through customs about how everything around them works. In the same way, Hume claims that “no man, having seen only one body move after being impelled by another, could infer that every other body will move after a like impulse” (Hume 12). This is why the author believes it is indeed custom and not critical reasoning that helps establish knowledge.
Understanding the Enquiry
The selected passage is a key to understanding the whole of the inquiry because it highlights Hume’s central argument that people’s experiences and customs build their knowledge. Therefore, it is impossible to predict the future. When reviewing the first big idea, it can be seen that Hume is skeptical of the traditional philosophical view that knowledge is based on reason and logic. Instead, he argues that people form beliefs based on their experiences and the regularities they observe in the world, beginning with the simple phenomena, such as “heat and flame, […], weight and solidity” (Hume 12).
In addition, the given passage focuses on the second big idea, which is based on future predictions. Because Hume’s ideas are predicated on building knowledge through observations, habits, and experiences, making assumptions about future events will be impossible, considering that people “draw, from a thousand instances, an inference” (Hume 12). This passage is significant because it challenges the notion that knowledge is objective and can be attained through reason alone.
Pop Culture Comparison
Pop Culture Example
The TV show Black Mirror explores themes of technology and the impact it has on society. In the episode Nosedive, the protagonist lives in a world where people rate each other based on social interactions. The rating system creates a conformity and social pressure culture, where people fear deviating from societal norms. At the beginning of the scene, the heroine is seen ordering a cup of coffee with a cookie and being friendly with the servers and locals, which seems normal (Noelia Almada).
However, immediately after taking a seat and taking a bite of the cookie, the audience observes how the woman starts to take pictures and upload them on social media platforms to receive recognition and feedback quickly (Noelia Almada). As a result, this proves Hume’s point that customs and experience drive people and their knowledge. The given pop culture scene proves that social recognition is integral, with people learning that their behavior can yield specific results.
Similarities and Differences Between the Enquiry and Pop Culture
The main point of overlap between the pop culture example and Hume’s work is that humans act not by logic but with customs. On the one hand, the Black Mirror episode is similar to Hume’s argument in the key passage because it illustrates how people form beliefs and behaviors and “draw […] an inference” based on custom and habit rather than reason (Hume 12). The characters in the show do not make logical deductions about each other’s behavior, but instead, follow the social norms established by the rating system.
The characters are aware of societal expectations and follow the rules. This is why the audience sees how servers and coffee shop visitors are not simply friendly but almost inauthentic and hypocritical (Noelia Almada). On the other hand, the example differs from Hume’s argument because it shows the impact of external factors, such as technology, on shaping beliefs and behaviors rather than solely relying on individual experiences.
Works Cited
Hume, David. “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding.” Project Gutenberg, 2011.
Noelia Almada. “Black Mirror – The future of social media” [Video]. YouTube, 2019. Web.