Humean Psychology

Humean Psychology

Humean Empiricism

All knowledge comes from experience or perception.

The Humean Mind

The mind is nothing more than a "bundle of perceptions".

Perception

  • Perceptions are derived from sensation or reflection.
  • Some perceptions, or impressions which are derived from sensation, are lively and vigorous.
  • Other perceptions, or ideas which are derived from reflection, are dim and feeble.
  • Ideas may be simple or complex, and complex ideas are composed of simple ideas by certain associations.
  • Simple ideas are derived from or are 'copies' of impressions.

Association of Ideas

Ideas may be associated in three fundamental ways:

  • Resemblance
  • Contiguity
  • Cause and Effect

Problems for Hume

  1. How do we explain the relationship between a given bundle of perceptions and a given body?
  2. How do we explain what makes a given perception part of one bundle of perceptions and not another?