Day 18: Finish Hume on Necessity & Responsibility; Start Reason and Passion

•      Discuss Essay

•      Final Exam Study Questions are Posted

•      Objections and Replies

•      Reason and Passion (Overview)

•      For Day 19, reread Treatise, Bk II, Part III, sections III

Objections and Replies

•     Review Hume’s position

•     What about the mad man?

•     What about quantum mechanics?

•     What does Hume think about character and responsibility?

•     An example from Daniel Dennett

•     Some Libertarian approaches

Reason and Passion (Overview)

•      What does Hume think passions are?

•      What does he think the relationship is between reason and passion?

Reason and Passion (Overview)

•      Quick outline of the first part of his argument:

–   (1) Reason alone can never be a motive to any action of the will; passion is required.

–   (2) Reason [alone] can never oppose passion in the direction of the will; passion is required.

–   (3) Therefore, reason is a slave to the passions.