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- Title
Filosófica & Natural: a dupla identidade da causalidade no Tratado de Hume.
- Authors
Eduardo Barra
- Abstract
In his theory of relations, Hume classifi es two kinds of them, viz. natural and philosophical relations. However, he is not concerned about explaining adequately his criteria for classifying a relation as natural or philosophical. In one of his rare statements about this issue in the Treatise of Human Nature (1739), he suggests that the relation of cause and effect, in particular, can be classifi ed as both a philosophical and a natural relation. By putting together passages like this, I aim to reconstruct Hume’s theory of relations of cause and effect, starting from the long argument he develops in almost the whole third part of the fi rst book of the Treatise. I interpret this argument as the foundation of the possibility and, especially, the necessity of moving between these two ways of classifying causality, i.e. from its initial condition as a philosophical relation to its condition as a natural relation. Given this twofold defi nition of causation, my goal is also to identify a pragmatic justifi cation for the permanence of the philosophical defi nition of causation, even though, according to Hume himself, it is conceptually precarious and partial. I argue that the rules for judging cause and effect, strategically placed at the end of the long argument for the naturalization of causality, partially include that justifi cation. Finally, on the basis of this double foundation of causality (viz. as natural and philosophical, as conceptual and pragmatic), I suggest a reinterpretation of Hume’s view of causality as mere regularity, without giving up the criticism addressed to it by Kemp Smith and his followers.
- Subjects
HUME, David, 1711-1776; TREATISE of Human Nature (Book); SMITH, Kemp; CAUSATION (Philosophy); RELATION (Philosophy); INTERACTION (Philosophy); INDUCTION (Logic); INQUIRY (Theory of knowledge)
- Publication
Filosofia UNISINOS, 2012, Vol 13, Issue 2, p114
- ISSN
1519-5023
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.4013/fsu.2012.132.02