Hume Terminology

Question 0

Inference (according to Hume)

Answer 0

Inference is passing from one proposition, statement, or
judgment considered true to another whose truth is believed to
follow from the former.

Question 1

What are psychological principles of association?

Answer 1

The universal principles/laws governing the
associations of ideas. For Hume, these principles say what new ideas will be generated in the
mind, based on what earlier ideas were in the mind.

Question 2

What are Hume’s three psychological principles?

Answer 2

Resemblance,

contiguity, and causality.

Question 3

Reason (Hume)

Answer 3

A form of inference based on intermediate steps/ideas [i.e.,

premises] allowing one to draw a conclusion

Question 4

Demonstrative reasoning

Answer 4

Here the intermediate ideas allow the mind to infer

the broader connection of ideas with certainty

Question 5

Uniformity principle

Answer 5

The Uniformity Principle states that the future
resembles the past. That is, the future and the past
are uniform in terms of the kinds of
natural causes and processes at work.

Question 6

Probable (moral, experimental) reasoning

Answer 6

Here, the intermediate

ideas allow the mind to infer the broader connection with mere probability

Question 7

Begging the question (circular reasoning)

Answer 7

When the intended conclusion of
an argument is presupposed
in its premises.

Question 8

Three basic doxastic attitudes

Answer 8

1. Assent (belief) – i.e. affirming a proposition.
2. Dissent (disbelief) – i.e., denying a proposition.
3. Withholding of assent (suspension of belief) – i.e.,
   neither affirming nor denying the proposition

Question 9

Occasionalism

Answer 9

Occasionalism is the theory that there is no genuine causal
interaction between natural objects. Instead,
God is the only true causal agent. God directly causes all
observable phenomena. The events that we call ‘causes’
are mere occasions for God’s causal activity.

Question 10

What is the difference between hard and soft determinism?

Answer 10

Both positions hold that human behavior is determined by prior events, but soft determinism says that despite that, people have moral responsibility.

Question 11

What is compatibilism?

Answer 11

According to compatibilism, our being free (in ways needed for responsibility) is compatible with human determinism.

Question 12

What about incompatibilism?

Answer 12

According to incompatibilism, our being free (in ways needed for responsibility) is incompatible with human determinism.

Question 13

Freedom of action

Answer 13

Freedom of Action is about control over one’s actions:
the ability to act as directed by the will, free from external
constraints that would prevent or compel the action.

Question 14

Freedom of will

Answer 14

Freedom of Will is about control over one’s will: the ability to will/choose the motives/ends on which to act (thereby, choosing actions) without being determined to choose those motives.

Question 15

False dilemma

Answer 15

1. In logic, one’s reasoning takes the form of a dilemma
   when it presents exactly two possible options, both of which have a bad result for one’s opponent.
2. Such reasoning counts as a false dilemma when, in fact, there are more than just two possible options.

Question 16

What are miracles?

Answer 16

1. Something marvelous – e.g., the “miracle” of childbirth.
2. An event that is a violation of, or an exception to, the
   laws of nature.
3. Like 2, while adding that the exception is attributed to a
   supernatural cause.

Question 17

Deism

Answer 17

Deism holds that there is a creator-God, but that God does
not miraculously intervene in nature to reveal the divine
will – thus, no special revelation.
God’s providential will is exercised via the laws of nature,
and is discovered via natural reason.

Question 18

God’s general will

Answer 18

God’s general will is directed at those laws of nature which, applied generally, are best suited to human flourishing.

Question 19

God’s particular will

Answer 19

God’s particular will is directed at those miraculous interventions serving to benefit some particular human(s) in some particular circumstance(s).

Question 20

Natural revelation

Answer 20

How God might be revealed via the natural world God created (i.e. scientifically)

Question 21

Special revelation

Answer 21

Special revelation refers to how God might be revealed supernaturally via miraculous interventions in nature – e.g., intervening to inspire holy scriptures, or for spiritual communication with people, or for healings, etc.

Question 22

Argument from design

Answer 22

The Argument from Design is an a posteriori (inductive) argument for God based on the apparent order and design of our universe – features thought to implicate an intelligent designer. This argument is a form of reasoning by analogy [e.g., an analogy to a watch] whereby one concludes that what holds of one side of an analogy does likewise hold of the other side of the analogy.

Question 23

Argument from evil

Answer 23

A pro-atheism (i.e., anti-God) argument intended to show that an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving God does not exist, because of how much suffering or evil there is in our world.

Question 24

Two sorts of evil

Answer 24

Moral evil is suffering caused by human choices. Natural evil is suffering caused by natural events such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis, etc. – events not traceable to human choice.

Question 25

Numerical vs kind identity

Answer 25

That x and y are numerically the same (or identical) entails that x is y – they are one-and-the-same object. That x and y are of the same (or identical) kind entails not that they are the very same object, but that they share some common essence – they're both cars, or both animals, or both triangles, etc.