David Humes Theory of Causality Essay - 2072 Words

What Came First: The Chicken or the Egg? David Hume moves through a logical progression of the ideas behind cause and effect. He critically analyzes the reasons behind those generally accepted ideas. Though the relation of cause and effect seems to be completely logical and based on common sense, he discusses our impressions and ideas and why they are believed. Hume’s progression, starting with his initial definition of cause, to his final conclusion in his doctrine on causality. As a result, it proves how Hume’s argument on causality follows the same path as his epistemology, with the two ideas complimenting each other so that it is rationally impossible to accept the epistemology and not accept his argument on causality. Hume starts by†¦show more content†¦That argument contradicts itself, because it uses itself as a cause for existence in its premise, when it is proving the concept of cause being a necessity. Therefore, it begs the question to prove cause an d effect by relying on the conclusion to prove the premise. The ideas of cause and effect cannot vary too far from actual impressions of the mind or ideas from the memory. We must first establish the existence of causes before we can infer effects from them. We have only two ways of doing that, either by an immediate perception of our memory or senses, called impressions, or, by an inference from other causes, called thoughts. For example, â€Å"A man finding a watch or any other machine in a desert island would conclude that there had once been men in that island† (160). Regardless of the source of the impression, the imagination and perceptions of the senses are the foundation for the reasoning that traces the relation of cause and effect. The inference that we draw from cause to effect does not come from a dependence on the two concepts to each other or from a rational objective look at the two. One object does not imply the existence of any other. All distinct ideas are s eparable, as are the ideas of cause and effect. The only way that we can infer the existence of one object from another is through experience. Contiguity and succession are not sufficient to make us pronounce any two objects to be cause and effect, unless weShow MoreRelatedDavid Hume ´s Philosophy Essay875 Words   |  4 Pages Hume’s Epistemology David Hume was a Scottish philosopher known for his ideas of skepticism and empiricism. Hume strived to better develop John Locke’s idea of empiricism by using a scientific study of our own human nature. We cannot lean on common sense to exemplify human conduct without offering any clarification to the subject. In other words, Hume says that since human beings do, as a matter of fact, live and function in this world, observation of how humans do so is imminent. The primaryRead MoreDavid Hume s Theory Of Cognitive Structure1415 Words   |  6 Pagesthese philosophers is David Hume who is his book An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding, claims that reasoning cannot demonstrate that things in the world exist therefore, all we can really know are our sense perceptions. An obvious flaw that is seen with Hume’s philosophy is that he reduces all knowledge to sense perceptions gained from experience. As Hume’s theory is limited to sense perception, another philosoph er by the name of Bernard Lonergan demonstrates how Hume’s theory is inadequate andRead MoreComparative Essay David Hume vs. John Locke1050 Words   |  5 PagesComparing John Locke against David Hume : Empiricism John Locke and David Hume, both great empiricist philosophers who radically changed the way people view ideas and how they come about. Although similar in their beliefs, the two have some quite key differences in the way they view empiricism. Locke believed in causality, and used the example of the mental observation of thinking to raise your arm, and then your arm raising, whereas Hume believed that causality is not something that can be knownRead MoreDescartes v Hume Essay1542 Words   |  7 Pagesconcept makes distinct one entity from another. Rationalism is the theory that truth can be derived through use of reason alone. Empiricism, a rival theory, asserts that truth must be established by sensual experience: touch, taste, smell, et al. Rene Descartes, a philosopher and rationalist concluded that one self was merely a continuous awareness of one’s own existence; one’s substance was one’s ability to think. On the other hand, David Hume, an empiricist refuted Descartes conclusion and claimed thatRead MoreEssay on David Humes Theory of Knowledge858 Words   |  4 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Knowledge is gained only through experience, and experiences only exist in the mind as individual units of thought. This theory of knowledge belonged to David Hume, a Scottish philosopher. Hume was born on April 26, 1711, as his family’s second son. His father died when he was an infant and left his mother to care for him, his older brother, and his sister. David Hume passed through ordinary classes with great success, and found an early love for literature. He lived on his family’s estateRead MoreEssay on Critique of Humes Analysis of Causality3316 Words   |  14 PagesCritique of Humes Analysis of Causality Humes analyses of human apprehension and of causality were the most penetrating up to his time and continue to have great influence. Contemporary Spanish philosopher Xavier Zubiri (1893-1983) has examined both and identified three underlying errors: (1) the failure to recognize that there are three stages of human intellection, and especially that the first, primordial apprehension, has quite unique characteristics; (2) the attempt to place an excessiveRead MoreDavid Hume s Theory Of Free Will1559 Words   |  7 PagesAre you choosing to read this essay? Or are you just constrained by the laws of nature? David Hume describes The Problem of Free Will as ‘the most contentious question of metaphysics’. Initial exploration into this school of thought gave rise to several philosophical viewpoints supported by modern thinkers. Hard determinism bases its viewpoint on the strict theory of causality, rejecting the idea of free will. On the contrary, Libertarianism opposes this, supporting the concept of free will and denyingRead MoreAnalysis Of John Locke, George Berkeley And David Hume1657 Words   |  7 Pagesarises originally from sense-experiences. John Locke, George Berkeley and David Hume are most notably known for the branch of empirical philosophy. Philosopher David Hume discusses what he believes are â€Å"bundles of perception.† He argues that we can never experience the objective world and alternatively only observe patterns. According to Hume, there are two methods used to detect these patterns, unit and continuity and causality. Casualty is defined as a relationship between ideas that allows you toRead More Metaphysics as Addressed by Kant and Hume Essay1387 Words   |  6 PagesMetaphysics as Addressed by Kant and Hume In the Prolegomena, Kant states that reading David Hume, awakened him from his dogmatic slumber. It was Humes An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding that made Kant aware of issues and prejudices in his life that he had previously been unaware of. This further prompted Kant to respond to Hume with his own analysis on the theory of metaphysics. Kant did not feel that Hume dealt with these matters adequately and resolved to pick up where Hume hadRead MoreEssay on Inconsistencies in Humes Empirical Thought2264 Words   |  10 PagesInconsistencies in Humes Empirical Thought    In his Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, David Hume attempts to uncover the ultimate truth about where our knowledge comes from.   This leads him to suggest that all our ideas and knowledge arise from outward experiences and sensations.   He attempts to prove this by solving the problem of induction.   I disagree with Humes ideas, and in this essay I will explain why.   I shall begin by explaining the problem of induction, and the sceptical

Unit Final Free Essays

In the interest of thoroughness, footprints should be preserved even if they do not show any details. Although the size and shape of the shoe or pattern in the heel or sole is of lesser evidential value, a representative print should nonetheless be preserved for its value as an investigative lead. (Fisher, Barry A. We will write a custom essay sample on Unit Final or any similar topic only for you Order Now J. , Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation, pegs 226-227). A footwear print may be a foot Impression or a footprint (dust print). Foot impressions occur when the foot treads In some moldable material such as earth, sand, clay, snow, etc. Footprints are formed on a hard base when the foot or the sole and heel of a shoe are contaminated with some foreign matter such as road dirt, gust, flour, blood, or moisture. Footprints may also be latent when naked or stocking- covered feet on a smooth surface have formed them. Footwear impression evidence and information from the gait pattern may indicate that the subject was walking or running, had sustained an injury or walked with a limp, was possibly intoxicated, had a tendency to walk toe-in or toe-out, or was carrying a heavy object. (Fisher, Barry A. J. , Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation, pegs 226-227). Foot Impressions are generally found outdoors; the first precautionary measure Is Hereford to protect the Impression from alteration or destruction, preferably by covering It with a box or cordoning off the area. Impressions In thawing snow are especially troublesome, so a box covered with snow to prevent thawing should protect them. If a foot impression is in such a position that it is possible for it to gradually fill up or be damaged by running water, it must be surrounded by a wall of earth, sand, or snow; alternatively, a hole may be dug close to the impression and the water drained toward the hole. However, these protective measures are only tops and the actual preservation should be undertaken as soon as possible. Preservation should be done by photographing and casting or, in the case of dust prints, should be lifted. (Fisher, Barry A. J. , Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation, pegs 231-232). When photographing the Impressions the camera should be placed vertically above the Impression on a tripod with a scale placed next to the impression. The film plane should be parallel to the Impression so as not to cause distortion In the photograph. It is good practice to place two scales in the photograph at right angles ND a second perpendicular to the first, in the region adjacent to the heel. If the bottom of the impression is appreciably deeper than the surface of the ground or snow, the scale should be brought down to the same level. Before photographing, any material that may have fallen into the impression should be cleaned away immediately. If it is not possible to carry this out without damaging the impression, it should be omitted. Because the details in foot impressions are three dimensional, the photograph should be made under illumination that will bring out those details o the best advantage. Direct sunlight enhances the details by creating highlights and shadows. When the sky is cloudy and the daylight diffuse and practically without shadow, artificial light must be used; foothold or flash illumination is suitable. (Fisher, Barry A. J. , Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation, pegs 232-233). Dental stone is a type of gypsum or calcium sulfate that can be used to cast shoe impressions. At one time, plaster of Paris was more widely used for this purpose; however, dental stone is superior and readily available from dental supply companies. Dental stone can be used for casting most impressions; even snow. Foot impressions in loose, dry sand and earth can be taken without any special preparation. Some literature suggests removing loose twigs and leaves, but this practice can damage the impression and is highly discouraged. Fisher, Barry A. J. , Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation, peg 233). In lifting firearms, great care must be taken not to destroy evidence. The best way to lift a pistol or revolver is to hold it with two fingers on the checkered part of the butt, or possibly by the ring on the butt. Shotguns may conveniently be held around the checkered part of the neck of the butt; if necessary the weapon can be lifted by a steady grip with the fingers on the trigger guard. It is undesirable to lift a weapon such as a revolver or pistol, because the weapon may be cocked and a shot may be fired if the trigger happens to be touched. It should be taken as a general rule never to lift a weapon found at the scene of a crime before first making sure that no one is in the direction in which the muzzle is pointing; of course one should not risk being hit if the weapon fires while being lifted. The weapon may actually be cocked so that even the slightest movement could cause a shot to be fired. The procedure for lifting up a gun by putting a pencil or stick in the barrel is absolutely wrong. This may destroy valuable clues in the barrel that might possibly have been of use in elucidating the case. In a contact shot (I. E. , when the muzzle is in contact with a body), which is common with suicide, it often happens that blood, grease, fragments of fabric, and textile fibers are blown into the barrel of the gun by the violence of gas pressure and the splash of tissue and blood in all directions. How to cite Unit Final, Papers

Banking Essay Example For Students

Banking Essay BankingSo Much for That Plan More than 70% of commercial bank assets are held by organizations that aresupervised by at least two federal agencies; almost half attract the attentionof three or four. Banks devote on average about 14% of their non-interestexpense to complying with rules (Anonymous 88). A fool can see thatgovernment waste has struck again. This tangled mess of regulation, amongother things, increases costs and diffuses accountability for policy actionsgone awry. The most effective remedy to correct this problem would be toconsolidate most of the supervisory responsibilities of the regulatory agenciesinto one agency. This would reduce costs to both the government and thebanks, and would allow the parts of the agencies not consolidated toconcentrate on their primary tasks. One such plan was introduced byTreasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen in March of 1994. The plan called forfolding, into a new independent federal agency (called the BankingCommission), the regulatory portion s of the Office of the Comptroller of theCurrency (OCC), the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit InsuranceCorporation (FDIC), and the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS). This planwould save the government $150 to $200 million a year. This would also allowthe FDIC to concentrate on deposit insurance and the Fed to concentrate onmonetary policy (Anonymous 88). Of course this is Washington, not TheLand of Oz, so everyone cant be satisfied with this plan. Fed Chairman AlanGreenspan and FDIC Chairman Ricki R. Tigert have been vocal opponents ofthe plan. Greenspan has four major complaints about the plan. First, divorcedfrom the banks, the Fed would find it harder to forestall and deal withfinancial crises. Second, monetary policy would suffer because the Fed wouldhave less access to review the banks. Thirdly, a supervisor with nomacroeconomic concerns might be too inclined to discourage banks fromtaking risks, slowing the economy down. Lastly, creating a single regulatorwould do a way with important checks and balances, in the process damagingstate bank regulation (Anonymous 88). To answer these criticisms it isnecessary to make clear what the Feds job is. The Fed has three mainresponsibilities: to ensure financial stability, to implement monetary policy, andto oversee a smoothly functioning payments system (delivering checks andtransferring funds) (Syron 3). The responsibilities of the Fed are linked to thebanking system. For the Fed to carry out its job it must have detailedknowledge of the working of banks and financial markets. Central banksknow from the experience of financial crises that regulatory and monetarypolicy directly influence each other. For example, a banking crises can disturbmonetary policy, discouraging lending and destroying consumer confidence,they can also disrupt the ability to make or receive payments by check or totransfer funds. It is for these reasons that it is argued that the Fed mustmaintain a regulatory role with banks. The Tre asury plan would leave the Fedsome access to the review of banks. The Fed, which lends through itsdiscount window and operates an interbank money transfer system, wouldhave full access to bank examination data. Because regulatory policy affectsmonetary policy and systemic risk, it is necessary that the Fed have at leastsome jurisdiction. The Fed must be able to effectively deal with current policyconcerns. The Banking Commission would be mainly concerned with thesafety and stability of the banks. This would encourage conservativeregulations, and could inhibit economic growth. The Fed clearly has a handson knowledge of the banking system. The common indicators of monetarypolicy the monetary aggregates, the federal funds rate, and the growth ofloans are all influenced by bank behavior and bank regulation. .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305 , .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305 .postImageUrl , .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305 , .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305:hover , .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305:visited , .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305:active { border:0!important; } .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305:active , .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305 .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ueb28bff2f50a80574964639c5e6a8305:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Women Who Changed The World: Rosa Parks Essay We will write a custom essay on Banking specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Understanding changes and taking action in a timely fashion can be achievedonly by maintaining contact with examiners who are directly monitoringbanks (Syron 7). The banking system is what ultimately determines monetarypolicy. It is only common sense to have personnel in the Fed that have abetter understanding of the system other than just through financialstatements and examination reports. The Fed also needs the authority tochange bank behavior that is inconsistent with its established monetary policyand with financial stability. This requires both the responsibility for writing theregulations and the responsibility for enforcing those regulations through banksupervision. State banking charters have already started to be affected. Under the proposed plan, state chartered banks would be subject to tworegulators. While the federal bank would have only one. Thus, making thestate bank charter less attractive. However, an increasing number of banksare opting for state supervision. It turns out that many banks are afraid oflosing existing freedoms, or of failing to gain new ones, if supervision iscentralized. State regulators have given their banks more freedom thanfederal ones: 17 now permit banks to sell insurance (and five to underwrite it,23 allow them to operate discount stockbrokers and a handful even let themrun estate agencies (Anonymous 91). The FDIC has two main criticisms ofthe Treasurys plan. First, FDIC Chairman Tigert believes that it is veryimportant that there be checks and balances in the system going forward(Cocheo 43). Second, Tigert believes that, since the FDIC is the one whowrites the checks for bank failures, the FDIC should be allowed to keep itsindependence. It is necessary to maintain the c hecks and balances ofdifferent agencies. This separation is necessary because of the differences inexaminations of the different regulatory agencies with respect to the sameinstitutions. It is important that the independent deposit insurer have accessto information thats available not only through reporting requirements, butalso through on-site examinations (Cocheo 43). Tigert explains that the FDICmust keep backup examination authority. As well as maintain the ability toconduct on-site examinations of all institutions it insures, not just thestate-chartered nonmember banks it supervises directly. She agrees withthose who say there is no need for duplicative examinations, but insists FDICmust be able to look at institutions whose condition or activities have changeddrastically enough to be of concern to the insurer. While consolidation of thebank supervisory process is overdue, issues of bank supervision andregulation affect the entire economy. There is no way to tell what is in sto refor banking regulation in the future. It is known, however, that we mustbeware that all the regulatory agencies in place now, are in place for areason. Careful thought and debate must be undertaken before any reform ismade. In the end, Americans seem no more inclined to tolerate concentrationamong regulators than they are among banks. BibliographyAnonymous. American Bank Regulation: Four Into One Can Go. TheEconomist 330 (March 5, 1994): 88-91. Cocheo, Steve. Declaration of Independence. ABA Banking Journal 87(February 1995): 43-48. Syron, Richard F. The Fed Must Continue to Supervise Banks. NewEngland Economic Review (January/February 1994): 3-8. Works ConsultedAnonymous. Banking Bill Spells Regulatory Relief. Savings CommunityBanker 3 (September 1994): 8-9. Broaddus, J. Alfred Jr. Choices in Banking Policy. Economic Quarterly(Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond) 80 (Spring 1994): 1-9. Reinicke, Wolfgang H. Consolidation of Federal Bank Regulation?Challenge 37 (May/June 1994): 23-29.