Theories of Knowledge
Wednesday, 10/30
Hume/Kant

Announcement:
Study guide available Wednesday 5, 2002
Next exam: Wednesday 13, 2002

Hume:
All analytical statements (relations of ideas) are a Priori.
All synthetic statements (matters of fact) are a posteriori.

Criticism of rationalist like Descartes: try to prove factual matters, what exist through a priori reasoning.

All conceptual reasoning can tell you about is concepts
--Exception: a contradiction can't be true, so contradictory concepts can't be represented in the real world.

Kant: there are some synthetic a priori statements

Every effect has a cause = analytic, a priori
Every event has a cause = synthetic, a priori

We know every event has a cause. If it didn't, science wouldn't work, but science clearly does work. "Every event has a cause" is a presupposition of science- we couldn't do science with out it. We can't prove it with our senses; it must be known; a priori empiricism is wrong.

(Everything happens for a reason) like 2+2=4 can't be proved- is assumed by everyone.