Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Ph.D Student in Philosophy of Science, Sharif University of Technology
Abstract
There are four distinct analytical approaches to Hume's philosophy of causation: naturalist, epistemological, semantic, and ontologic. The naturalist approach, deals with the study and process review of the origin or source of things that have occupied our minds. This approach is concerned with questions such as: "What is the mental mechanism by which we infer effects from causes?" and “What is the origin of essential relationship concept”? The epistemological approach deals with topics that could be determined with certainty and that how could we justify causal claims and claims about the future. Semantic approach deals with the question that what is the purpose of statements such as “A causes B”? The ontological approach is concerned with essence of nature and of causality in world independent of our beliefs.
The main concern of Hume, is primarily naturalist and then epistemological, while commentators disagree on the causal theory of Hume regarding semantics of cause and ontology of causation. Accordingly, Hume followed the structure and function of human mind to provide analysis based on human nature, and justify "causation". The elements he makes use of include: association, habit and belief where all of them are the features of human mind and are related to the human nature. This paper introduces and reviews the naturalist approach to the issue of causation.
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