Hume & Schumacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hume & Schumacher - Essay Example In this research, philosophy has come to play a very critical role in the understanding of human life. It finds its applicability from simple life questions such as the definition of terms to more complex debates about the ultimate purpose of life as well as what is real and what is vague. One of the greatest philosophers ever seen in history was David Hume (1711-1776). His essays and publications are now used by scholars both in Philosophy and other academic disciplines. The purpose of this paper is to examine his views and arguments from the viewpoint of another great philosopher, Schumacher, E.F (1911-1977). David Hume is regarded as one of the greatest philosophers to have ever lived. His essays, Moral, Political and Literary are recognized as a great contribution to the 18th Century Philosophy and the succeeding years. Similarly, several outstanding philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and Jeremy Bentham have confessed being directly influenced by his works. Similarly, Charles Dar win attested to Hume as a central influence (Hume 34). Hume is honored for having written in probably every branch of Philosopher but more so in the area of human science. Some critics have referred to him as ‘our politics, religion and also our economy’. ... Regarding cause and effect, or causality, he believes that, as all humans do, that there is no event without a cause, and that this conception is inborn, not taught, or induced in to us. Referring to his predecessors, Hume questions what the relationship between cause and effect really means (Guyer 26). By giving real life examples, he concludes that our perception of connecting two events is not based on a close scrutiny but by the closeness of the two events. He states that it is impossible to experience the connection between the two events. We only experience the events themselves but not the actual causing. Therefore, this causal theory is a mere construct in our minds without any absolute foundation on experience. If his view is correct, many scientists, who consider themselves as searching for causes, would need to redefine themselves. Secondly, Hume debates the existence of the self. The ancient example of a ship tied to a harbor where families brought their children to play on the decks rouses a question. After many years of aging, several parts of the ship, and finally, every single chip of the ship are replaced, such that there is nothing left of the original ship. A question rises on the originality of that ship, on whether the sign on the ship should read, â€Å"This is the famous ship which fought many battles†, or â€Å"this is a replica of that ship†. One would conclude that it is the same ship since its identity has remained unchanged over the years. Similarly, Biology teaches that every molecule of the body is replaced after 7 years (Schumacher 19). Yet after those years, we still maintain our identity and even given the different experiences we go through, we