Kant and Hume on Knowledge Concepts

The ability of the mind to doubt, understand, will, refuse, and so on. These mental actions, also known as mental states, are the primary focus of Descartes' inquiry.

Descartes' famous statement: 'I think, therefore I am.', which is often used as the starting point for his philosophy. It expresses the certainty of our own existence based on the fact that we can doubt, think, and be conscious.

The ability to doubt and question the reality of our senses and external world. Descartes believes that we must cast doubt on everything we perceive through our senses to find a solid foundation for knowledge.

The idea that the thinking mind is separate and distinct from the physical body. Descartes argues that our essence is not our physical body but our mental capacity for thought and consciousness.

The method used by Descartes to arrive at a fundamental truth. By systematically doubting everything he could possibly doubt, he aimed to identify a foundation of knowledge that was absolutely certain and unshakeable.

A quality or characteristic that is essential to the nature of a thing. In relation to the thinking thing, a property is essential if it cannot be removed without the thing itself ceasing to exist.

Similar to the Method of Doubt, but more specifically focusing on the nature of sensory perception and its relationship to the external world. By casting doubt on the trustworthiness of our senses, Descartes aims to understand the relationship between what we perceive and the objects themselves.

The idea that our thinking mind is the core of our being. Descartes' conclusion that thought is the only property he knows to be essential to him. This implies that our identity rests primarily in our mental capacity, not our physical form.

Statements that are true by definition and can be known without any experience.

Statements that are true based on experience and cannot be known without observing the world.

Knowledge that is based on experience and can be verified through the senses.

Knowledge that is independent of experience and can be known through reasoning alone.

A type of knowledge that is both synthetic (not based on the meaning of words) and a priori (independent of experience).

Kant's idea that our mind has innate structures that shape our experience of the world.

According to Kant, our minds are structured in a way that makes it impossible to experience the world without space and time.

Kant's belief that objects of knowledge are constituted by the subject, and that there would be no subject without a coherent world.

A fundamental, indivisible entity that is the basis of all reality, according to Leibniz. Monads have no parts, are windowless, and possess internal qualities that determine their actions.

A substance in Aristotelian/medieval philosophy is something that needs nothing else to exist, or that which has properties. Leibniz emphasizes that a substance must be a unity, meaning it cannot be divided.

Monads are not created or destroyed through natural processes. They can only be created or destroyed by God or by supernatural intervention.

Monads are causally independent, meaning they are not influenced by anything outside themselves. Any change within a monad is due to its own internal principle.

Leibniz argues that the universe is a plenum, filled with monads and without empty space. This ensures that changes are not caused by the addition or subtraction of monads.

Monads are not identical; each one is unique. This means there are no two monads with the same internal qualities.

Monads are constantly changing, though these changes are not caused by external forces but by their own inner essence.

Windowless monads are not affected by the external world. This means that events outside a monad cannot cause changes within it.

The idea that a cause happening without its effect following is a logical contradiction. This applies to both Aristotelians and occasionalists, who believe the relationship between cause and effect is necessary.

Hume's argument that no experience can reveal a necessary relation between events. Because experience is only a sequence of events, we never observe a contradiction in one event following another. This means no experience contains a necessary connection.

According to Hume, repeated experience creates a habitual expectation, not a necessary connection. This expectation, based on the strength of the idea, leads us to believe in the causal relation.

Hume's perspective on causation, denying the existence of an objective, necessary connection between events. Instead, causation is simply our subjective experience of events following one another.

Kant's claim that the existence of causal laws is the basis for our understanding of time. Without causal laws, we wouldn't be able to perceive objects as existing in a temporal sequence/order.

A proposition that is true by definition and can be understood solely based on the meaning of the terms involved. It does not require any observation or experience. For example, "All bachelors are unmarried men."

A proposition that asserts something about the world, and therefore requires empirical evidence to be confirmed. It can be true or false, and can be contradicted by experience. For example, "The sun will rise tomorrow."

Hume's central claim that all ideas are ultimately derived from sensory impressions. This means that we can't have an idea of something unless we have experienced it through our senses.

Hume's method to test the validity of ideas by tracing them back to their origin in sensory impressions. If an idea cannot be linked to any impressions, it is considered meaningless.

A key concept in Hume's philosophy that emphasizes the limitations of human reason. It suggests that our knowledge is limited by our sensory experiences and that certain types of knowledge, such as metaphysical claims, may be beyond our grasp.

Hume's approach to address skeptical doubts, which focuses on identifying the sources and limits of human knowledge. Unlike Descartes' method, Hume aims to understand the nature of our skepticism rather than seeking definitive answers.

The ability to conceive of the opposite of a matter of fact without a contradiction. For example, we can imagine the sun not rising tomorrow without any logical inconsistency.

Hume's assertion that complex ideas are built up from simple ones. Simple ideas are directly derived from sensory impressions, while complex ideas are combinations of simple ideas.

The idea that our conscious mental image is made up of a series of apprehensions, or conscious mental images occurring in a temporal succession.

The concept that the temporal succession of apprehensions, or conscious mental images, does not necessarily correspond to an objective order in the external world.

The situation where the order of apprehensions corresponds to an objective order in the world, like observing an apple falling from a tree.

The ability to perceive and understand the temporal order of events in the world, allowing us to conceptualize change and differentiate between subjective experiences and objective reality.

The process of distinguishing between our subjective mental states and the objects that are apprehended in those states, essential for comprehending the objective world.

The object, which is apprehended in our mental states, imposes a rule on the order of our apprehensions, ensuring a consistent and predictable sequence of mental images.

The idea that to conceive of objects as changing over time, we must perceive them as necessitating a specific temporal order of apprehensions.

The process of understanding how we can conceive of an objective temporal order of events, allowing us to think of ourselves as living in a changing world rather than simply being subjects of change.