Access the full text.
Sign up today, get DeepDyve free for 14 days.
Loading next page...
/lp/hume-society/hume-and-abstract-general-ideas-FFIXHWsADo
References
References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.
- Publisher
- Hume Society
- Copyright
- Copyright © Hume Society
- ISSN
- 1947-9921
- Publisher site
- See Article on Publisher Site
Abstract
In his discussion of abstract ideas in the Treatise, Hume offers what "...may... be thought... a plain dilemma, that decides concerning the nature of those abstract ideas..." He states the dilemma in these words: The abstract idea of a man represents men of all sizes and all qualities; which 'tis concluded it cannot do, but either by representing at once all possible sizes and all possible qualities , or by representing no particular one at all. Now it having been esteemed absurd to defend the former proposition, as implying an infinite capacity in the mind, it has been commonly infer'd in favour of the latter; and our abstract ideas have been suppos'd to represent no particular degree either of quality or quantity. (T, 1,1,7, ?.18) However, with respect to this dilemma, Hume says: But that this inference is erroneous , I shall endeavor to make appear, first , by proving, that 'tis utterly impossible to conceive any quantity or quality, without forming a precise notion of its degrees: And secondly by showing, that tho' the capacity of the mind be not infinite, yet we can at once form a notion of and conversation. (T, 1,1,7, p. 18) The
Journal
Hume Studies – Hume Society
Published: Jan 26, 1977