David Hume, an 18th century philosopher and a skeptic, rejected the current idea of personal identity and the self. He believed that the “I” is the body’s way of making sense of the world, but does not actually exist. He instead proposed the idea that the there are two parts of personal identity people inhibit. People are bundles of perceptions and have humanity because we see each other as human. By examining Hume’s ideas, the reader will be able to better understand and contemplate the concepts of the self and personal identity as a whole. Current ideas of personal identity stated that we humans have a simple, unchanging self. To Hume this would be impossible because that would mean that we would have to have an impression that remained
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Hume says that this is false and that the memory is only a facility which houses perception (Stevens, p. 114). The memory does help to link together perceptions like chains that build of each other, strengthening or weakening some perceptions, but there is no “self” that these perceptions relate to. To better explain this, think of an apple. When describing an apple, people can say that it is roundish, and has some variation or color, smell, taste, feel, etc. Now if all these characteristics of this apple were removed nothing would be left. The apple is given its identity from what our senses can perceive. In this way, memory allows a person to maintain a continuance of perception (Stevens, p. 114.) Likewise, “memory does not so much produce as discover personal identity, by showing us the relation of cause and effect among our different perceptions” (Stevens, p. 114). Hume also rejects the idea that people thinking about themselves as subjects of thought is important for everyday life (R2 P3). Instead, he says that we think about passions and concerns that stems from sensations that people experience, and that is what helps define a person (R2 P3). For example, feeling proud of owning a home makes us think of ourselves as homeowners (R2 P3). In this way, people are agents of their experiences. Personal identity is defined by what a person thinks …show more content…
This is because, even the idea of an “I” is incorrectly, it has its uses. People thinking about themselves as a singular self makes daily life easier. Without this idea, the mind might not have a stable, helpful relationship with the body. For example, having every organ in the body be seen as one whole body to the mind instead of multiple pieces of a machine allows people to haven an easier grasp over there body. In this way, people are better able to grasp their thoughts if they don’t not have to worry about every individual sensation. In contrast, since philosophers are trying to figure about the truth about the mind and personality, to Hume, they need to view themselves in the correct way, so that they can better understand the
Hume says that this is false and that the memory is only a facility which houses perception (Stevens, p. 114). The memory does help to link together perceptions like chains that build of each other, strengthening or weakening some perceptions, but there is no “self” that these perceptions relate to. To better explain this, think of an apple. When describing an apple, people can say that it is roundish, and has some variation or color, smell, taste, feel, etc. Now if all these characteristics of this apple were removed nothing would be left. The apple is given its identity from what our senses can perceive. In this way, memory allows a person to maintain a continuance of perception (Stevens, p. 114.) Likewise, “memory does not so much produce as discover personal identity, by showing us the relation of cause and effect among our different perceptions” (Stevens, p. 114). Hume also rejects the idea that people thinking about themselves as subjects of thought is important for everyday life (R2 P3). Instead, he says that we think about passions and concerns that stems from sensations that people experience, and that is what helps define a person (R2 P3). For example, feeling proud of owning a home makes us think of ourselves as homeowners (R2 P3). In this way, people are agents of their experiences. Personal identity is defined by what a person thinks …show more content…
This is because, even the idea of an “I” is incorrectly, it has its uses. People thinking about themselves as a singular self makes daily life easier. Without this idea, the mind might not have a stable, helpful relationship with the body. For example, having every organ in the body be seen as one whole body to the mind instead of multiple pieces of a machine allows people to haven an easier grasp over there body. In this way, people are better able to grasp their thoughts if they don’t not have to worry about every individual sensation. In contrast, since philosophers are trying to figure about the truth about the mind and personality, to Hume, they need to view themselves in the correct way, so that they can better understand the