The Evident Connexion: Hume on Personal IdentityThe Evident Connexion presents a new reading of Hume's 'bundle theory' of the self or mind, and his later rejection of it. Galen Strawson argues that the bundle theory does not claim that there are no subjects of experience, as many have supposed, or that the mind is just a series of experiences. Hume holds only that the 'essence of the mind [is] unknown'. His claim is simply that we have no empirically respectable reason to believe in the existence of a persisting subject, or a mind that is more than a series of experiences (each with its own subject). Why does Hume later reject the bundle theory? Many think he became dissatisfied with his account of how we come to believe in a persisting self, but Strawson suggests that the problem is more serious. The keystone of Hume's philosophy is that our experiences are governed by a 'uniting principle' or 'bond of union'. But a philosophy that takes a bundle of ontologically distinct experiences to be the only legitimate conception of the mind cannot make explanatory use of those notions in the way Hume does. As Hume says in the Appendix to the Treatise of Human Nature: having 'loosen'd all our particular perceptions' in the bundle theory, he is unable to 'explain the principle of connexion, which binds them together'. This lucid book is the first to be wholly dedicated to Hume's theory of personal identity, and presents a bold new interpretation which bears directly on current debates among scholars of Hume's philosophy. |
Contents
Part 1 Epistemology Semantics and Ontology | 1 |
Part 2 Mind Self and Person | 33 |
Part 3 Humes Appendix | 101 |
157 | |
163 | |
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Common terms and phrases
according actually allow already appeal Appendix association awareness believe bodies bundle can’t causation cause certainly claim clear committed conception concerned connection connexion conscious consider constitute continuing definition Detail discussion distinct effect empirically warranted empiricist entirely episode essence evidence existence experiences experiencing experiential explain express external fact feeling fiction follows further give given holds human Hume Hume’s I-Principles idea Imagination impression individual involves it’s kind legitimate matter mean mental metaphysical mind nature necessarily necessity never Note notion objects observe occur ontological operation particular passage perceive perceptions persisting personal identity phenomenon philosophy physical objects position possible present principles problem question real connection reality reason reference regular relation remarked resemblance respect sceptic seems sense simple single sort subject of experience substance succession suppose theory there’s thesis thing thought Treatise true understanding unite unknown whole