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Hume's Empiricism and the Critique of Metaphysics

Description: Test your understanding of Hume's Empiricism and his critique of metaphysics.
Number of Questions: 15
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Tags: empiricism metaphysics hume philosophy
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According to Hume, what is the only source of knowledge?

  1. Experience

  2. Reason

  3. Intuition

  4. Tradition


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Hume argued that all knowledge is derived from experience, either through sensation or reflection.

What did Hume mean by the term 'impressions'?

  1. Ideas that are copies of sensations

  2. Sensations themselves

  3. Mental representations of objects

  4. Beliefs about the world


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Hume used the term 'impressions' to refer to the basic units of experience, such as sensations, emotions, and desires.

What are 'ideas' according to Hume?

  1. Copies of impressions

  2. Mental representations of objects

  3. Beliefs about the world

  4. Concepts that are independent of experience


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Hume argued that ideas are simply copies of impressions, and that they have no independent existence.

What is the 'association of ideas'?

  1. The process by which ideas are linked together in the mind

  2. The process by which impressions are linked together in the mind

  3. The process by which ideas are linked together in the brain

  4. The process by which impressions are linked together in the brain


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Hume argued that ideas are associated together in the mind by three main principles: resemblance, contiguity, and cause and effect.

What is Hume's critique of the concept of substance?

  1. He argued that substances are unknowable.

  2. He argued that substances are unnecessary.

  3. He argued that substances are self-contradictory.

  4. He argued that substances are all of the above.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Hume argued that the concept of substance is unknowable, unnecessary, and self-contradictory.

What is Hume's critique of the concept of causality?

  1. He argued that causality is unknowable.

  2. He argued that causality is unnecessary.

  3. He argued that causality is self-contradictory.

  4. He argued that causality is all of the above.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Hume argued that the concept of causality is unknowable, unnecessary, and self-contradictory.

What is Hume's conclusion about the limits of human knowledge?

  1. We can only know what is immediately present to our senses.

  2. We can only know what is logically necessary.

  3. We can only know what is revealed to us by God.

  4. We can only know what is supported by tradition.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Hume argued that the limits of human knowledge are determined by the limits of our experience.

What is the significance of Hume's empiricism for modern philosophy?

  1. It led to the development of logical positivism.

  2. It led to the development of existentialism.

  3. It led to the development of pragmatism.

  4. It led to the development of all of the above.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Hume's empiricism had a profound influence on the development of modern philosophy, leading to the development of logical positivism, existentialism, and pragmatism.

What are some of the criticisms of Hume's empiricism?

  1. It is too narrow.

  2. It is too skeptical.

  3. It is self-refuting.

  4. All of the above.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Hume's empiricism has been criticized for being too narrow, too skeptical, and self-refuting.

How did Hume's empiricism influence the development of science?

  1. It led to the development of the scientific method.

  2. It led to the development of the theory of evolution.

  3. It led to the development of the atomic theory.

  4. It led to the development of all of the above.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Hume's empiricism had a profound influence on the development of science, leading to the development of the scientific method, the theory of evolution, and the atomic theory.

What is the legacy of Hume's empiricism?

  1. It is still a major influence in contemporary philosophy.

  2. It has been largely abandoned by contemporary philosophers.

  3. It is only of historical interest.

  4. None of the above.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Hume's empiricism is still a major influence in contemporary philosophy, and it continues to be debated and discussed by philosophers today.

Which of the following is NOT a principle of association of ideas according to Hume?

  1. Resemblance

  2. Contiguity

  3. Cause and effect

  4. Contrast


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Hume identified three principles of association of ideas: resemblance, contiguity, and cause and effect. Contrast is not one of Hume's principles of association.

What did Hume argue about the concept of personal identity?

  1. Personal identity is a fiction.

  2. Personal identity is an illusion.

  3. Personal identity is a bundle of perceptions.

  4. All of the above.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Hume argued that personal identity is a fiction, an illusion, and a bundle of perceptions.

What is the problem of induction?

  1. The problem of justifying the belief that the future will resemble the past.

  2. The problem of justifying the belief that the laws of nature are universal.

  3. The problem of justifying the belief that our senses are reliable.

  4. All of the above.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

The problem of induction is the problem of justifying the belief that the future will resemble the past, the belief that the laws of nature are universal, and the belief that our senses are reliable.

What is Hume's solution to the problem of induction?

  1. There is no solution to the problem of induction.

  2. The problem of induction is a pseudo-problem.

  3. The problem of induction can be solved by appealing to custom and habit.

  4. The problem of induction can be solved by appealing to the laws of nature.


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Hume argued that the problem of induction can be solved by appealing to custom and habit. He argued that our belief in the uniformity of nature is based on our experience of the past, and that this experience is so strong that it is impossible for us to doubt it.

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