"...we should endeavour to define the feeling of cold or passion of anger, to a creature who never had an experience of these sentiments." -Hume
Both of these passages seem to explain what I'm about to get at. Of course we all have played pool before and know what usually happens when you hit the cue ball into another ball. The cue ball usually stops once it hits the other ball. But looking at the second passage, what if a person who hasn't played or seen anyone else play think? Would you think the ball would stop or keep going with the other ball? Or does it matter what way you hit the ball or on what angle?
Same thing with the second passage, if we explained these type of feelings to someone would they how to distinguish the difference between the two of them if they experienced it? Or the other week we talked about if someone who was born blind, only knew the feeling of a circular object but would they know it if they all of a sudden could see without feeling it? I'm not sure if they could. Eventually I think they would learn what it was but not right away. The same goes for explaining the feelings.
1 comment:
the example of the billiard ball deals with the whole process of cause and effect. cause and effect according to hume is based on past experiences. for some one who played pool, they will know the outcome of hitting one ball against the other, but for someone who has no past experience they will not know the effect of the cause. hume says that for those people who have no past experience, they will not understand cause and effect. this is when he says that cause and effect is nothing with out custom. custom gives us a better understanding of cause and effect rather than reasoning. with custom, you are experiencing an event as it is happening and you're making it a custom. for example, if you never played pool, the first time you play you are going to play it over and over until you understand the game. this is why hume says that custom is needed because it allows the experience to stay vivid and become present experiences in your senses and memory.
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