Plato’s Descartes’ and Hume’s Philosophy Essay

Introduction

Both Plato and Descartes claim that what is perceived by the senses is just an illusion. It is claimed that what they say is true. But David Hume says that human knowledge depends on the senses. If what Plato and Descartes say is true, Hume’s philosophy will be dangerous in a certain way. Also, his philosophy conveys the importance and the beauty of the life of faith in the midst of a discouraging world.

What Is the Basis for Hume’s Claim That the Senses Are the Only Ground Upon Which One May Secure Human Knowledge?

The basis for Hume’s claim is his “Theory of Knowledge”. This theory says that a human gets his knowledge only from what he perceives by his senses (“Hume”). Human knowledge consists of two basic elements, impressions and ideas. Impressions are the results of what the senses perceive. Ideas are the results of impressions (“Philosophy”). David Hume claims that every idea that comes to the human mind is based on an impression, or else it will be false. For example, it’s impossible to imagine the feeling of having a certain disease (an idea) without having it (an impression) (“Hume”). This theory contains a number of laws that include:

1. “The Law of Association of Ideas”: All impressions and ideas are connected together. “This permits thought to pass from an actual impression to the idea of other impressions obtained in the past, and from these ideas to other ideas”. The ideas that have a certain connection between each other can be put in certain groups. Even the groups can have connections between each other and be put in groups. Simple ideas are accumulated to form “complex ideas” (“Philosophy”). For example, the idea of sound is a simple idea, but the idea of music is a complex idea (“Hume”). This law helps in believing in the “external world” (“Philosophy”).
2. “The Law of Habit”: The senses perceive a particular “phenomenon” associated with another constantly. Thus, the “impressions succeed one another with a certain constancy”. For example, if someone tastes a newly cooked food and finds it hot. He will expect to find newly cooked food hot every time. And that’s because of his experience in the past (“Philosophy”). This philosophy is considered dangerous if the claims of Plato and Descartes are true. Plato and Descartes don’t trust the senses as a source of knowledge, but Hume considers them the primary source of knowledge.

Is Empiricism Competent to Convey the Importance and the Beauty of the Life of Faith in the Midst of A World That Is Sometimes Discouraging?

Yes, it is. The main principle of empiricism is that human knowledge comes only from experience. Empiricism proves that God exists, and the experience here is noticing that the universe looks like it was created by an “intelligent designer”. In the 18^th century, it was common to use empiricism’s “terms of the debate”. However, these terms “did not lead everyone to the same conclusions”. Voltaire used these terms in his satire, “Candide”, in 1759. Candide (the main character) always had faith in God despite all the bad things that he faced in his life. He also trusted God and was sure that God “created the best of all possible worlds” (“Empiricism”).

Conclusion

Hume’s philosophy is different from the philosophies of Plato and Descartes. Plato and Descartes consider the human senses untrustworthy. Hume considers senses the main source of knowledge. All 3 philosophers have 1 thing in common, which is believing in God (Plato believed in Gods) (“Hume”; “Plato”; “Descartes”).

Works Cited

“David Hume.” Answers.com. 2009. Web.

“Empiricism.” Answers.com. 2009. Web.

“Plato.” Answers.com. 2009. Web.

“René Descartes.” Answers.com. 2009. Web.

“The Philosophy of David Hume.” The Radical Academy. 2003. Web.