Date of Award
1-1-2012
Language
English
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
College/School/Department
Department of Philosophy
Content Description
1 online resource (ii, 39 pages)
Dissertation/Thesis Chair
Rachel Cohon
Committee Members
Rachel Cohon, PD Magnus
Keywords
Beliefs of Intention, Beliefs of Prediction, Causation, Damian Thibeault, Hume, Hume's Treatise, Motivation (Psychology), Reason
Subject Categories
Philosophy
Abstract
Is human reason capable of being the direct cause of an action? David Hume's answer to this question was an unequivocal no. He argues that "reason is perfectly inert," and instead claims that only our emotions are capable of moving us. The argument of this paper is that given Hume's empirical account of causation, as he establishes it in Book One of his Treatise of Human Nature, his inertia of reason doctrine fails. This paper will demonstrate that Hume has not shown--and perhaps cannot show--that reason is incapable of causing action.
Recommended Citation
Thibeault, Damian Christopher, "The force of reason : an argument against David Hume's doctrine on the inertness of reason" (2012). Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024). 784.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/legacy-etd/784