David Hume and the Is/Ought Problem
Summary
TLDRIn Edinburgh, the video explores philosopher David Hume's profound questions. It delves into the problem of induction, questioning how repeated observations can lead to universal laws, exemplified by gravity. Further, it addresses Hume's 'is-ought' problem, pondering the leap from factual statements to moral obligations. The video challenges viewers to consider the basis of morality and rational action, suggesting an inherent belief in value drives our decisions, despite the difficulty in linking facts to values.
Takeaways
- đïž David Hume is a philosopher known for asking profound questions that reshape the way we think about philosophy.
- đ The problem of induction, introduced by Hume, questions the logic behind assuming that future events will follow the patterns observed in the past.
- đ Even with complete data, one cannot logically prove a universal law, as illustrated by the example of gravity and dropped objects.
- đź Hume's second key question is about the is-ought problem, which challenges the derivation of moral values ('oughts') from factual statements ('is') about the world.
- đ©ž In a scenario where someone is stabbed, it's possible to measure many physical aspects, but not the moral wrongness of the act.
- đ Morality, as Hume observed, isn't something that can be directly measured or observed, unlike physical properties.
- đ€ The is-ought divide suggests a gap between factual statements and moral judgments, questioning how one can logically move from one to the other.
- đ§ Hume's insights imply that our actions are guided by an underlying belief in values, even if we can't directly justify them through reason alone.
- đ The video suggests that while the nature and origin of these values might be debated, their influence on our actions is undeniable.
- đ The discussion on the is-ought problem invites viewers to consider the relationship between facts and values, and whether one can derive the latter from the former.
Q & A
Who is David Hume and why is he significant?
-David Hume was an 18th-century Scottish philosopher known for his skeptical empirical approach to philosophy. He is significant because he questioned fundamental assumptions about knowledge, morality, and the nature of reality, influencing modern philosophy and the Scottish Enlightenment.
What is the problem of induction as mentioned in the script?
-The problem of induction is the philosophical issue that even with a full data set, it doesn't necessarily prove a conclusion true. It challenges the logic behind assuming that because something has always happened in the past, it will continue to happen in the future.
Can you provide an example of the problem of induction from the script?
-The script uses the example of gravity. Even if you drop something many times and it falls due to gravity, this doesn't logically prove that gravity is a universal lawâit's just a pattern we observe and trust.
What is the 'is-ought' problem that David Hume is known for?
-The 'is-ought' problem is Hume's observation that it's not easy to derive moral obligations ('oughts') from statements of fact ('is'). It questions how one can logically move from descriptions about the world to prescriptions about how the world should be.
How does the script illustrate the 'is-ought' problem with a stabbing scenario?
-In the script, a stabbing scenario is used to show that while you can measure physical aspects of the event, you cannot measure the moral 'wrongness' or 'evilness' of the act. These qualities are not directly observable or measurable.
What does the script suggest about the nature of morality and its relation to measurable quantities?
-The script suggests that morality, with its concepts of 'good' and 'evil,' is not a measurable quantity. It is not something you can see, touch, or hear, yet it influences our actions and decisions.
What does the script imply about the necessity of an underlying belief in value for rational human action?
-The script implies that for human action to be rationally consistent, there must be an underlying belief in value itself. This belief in 'oughts' and 'shoulds' is fundamental to everything we do.
What is the alternative view presented in the script regarding the reality of beliefs and morality?
-The script presents the alternative view that beliefs and morality might be subjective and a matter of personal preference, suggesting that there might not be an objective reality to them.
How does the script relate the study of truth to the concept of 'is' and 'ought'?
-The script questions whether we study truth because it is true or because of the inherent goodness in doing so, suggesting an inextricable link between the 'is' (facts) and the 'ought' (values).
What is the call to action for viewers at the end of the script?
-The script encourages viewers to engage with the content by sharing their thoughts in the comments, and for new viewers, it prompts them to like and subscribe to the channel.
What is the overall message of the script about the connection between 'is' and 'ought'?
-The overall message is that while it may be challenging to connect facts ('is') with moral values ('ought'), this connection is essential for rational human behavior and decision-making.
Outlines
đïž The Philosophical Impact of David Hume
The video script introduces viewers to the city of Edinburgh and the philosophical contributions of David Hume. Hume is recognized as a philosopher who not only answered fundamental questions creatively but also discovered new, inescapable questions. The script discusses two of Hume's most famous inquiries: the problem of induction and the is-ought problem. The problem of induction challenges the notion that a full data set can prove a conclusion, using the example of gravity to illustrate how repeated observations do not necessarily establish a universal law. The is-ought problem explores the difficulty of deriving moral values ('ought') from factual statements ('is'), questioning how one can move from measurable, observable phenomena to the immeasurable qualities of morality. The script suggests that while Hume's findings may not provide clear-cut answers, they underscore the necessity of an underlying belief in value for rational human action.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄDavid Hume
đĄPhilosophers
đĄProblem of Induction
đĄUniversal Law
đĄIs-Ought Divide
đĄNaturalist Style Moral Arguments
đĄMorality
đĄRational Being
đĄValue
đĄSubjective
đĄRationally Consistent
Highlights
Visiting the statue of David Hume in Edinburgh
Introduction to two classes of philosophers: creative thinkers and question discoverers
David Hume's role as a philosopher who discovers new questions
The problem of induction: the logical issue with assuming universal laws from repeated observations
The example of gravity to illustrate the problem of induction
The distinction between empirical observation and logical proof
The second question Hume is known for: deriving 'ought' from 'is'
Scenario of being stabbed to discuss the measurable versus the moral
The inability to measure moral qualities like 'wrongness' or 'evilness'
Hume's observation on the difficulty of bridging 'is' and 'ought'
The idea that moral arguments often incorrectly infer 'ought' from 'is'
The is-ought divide and its implications for rational action
The necessity of an underlying belief in value for rational consistency
The question of whether we study truth for its own sake or for its goodness
The suggestion that the is-ought divide may lead to a belief in subjective morality
The argument against the subjective nature of morality and value
The call to action for viewers to engage with the content and subscribe to the channel
Transcripts
[Music]
so we're here in the city of Edinburgh
and one of the things that I really want
to visit is this statue of David Hume
there are two classes of philosophers
the first one tries to answer
fundamental questions in a creative way
the second kind does something way more
interesting and profound they discover
new questions new questions so
fundamental that they are inescapable
for every philosopher of this first kind
that ever comes thereafter David Hume is
one of these philosophers and I'm going
to describe two questions that he is
really known for the first one we've
talked about briefly on this channel
before and it's called the problem of
induction and it's basically the problem
that even if you have a full data set
it doesn't necessarily prove your
conclusion true if I drop something and
say oh that's because gravity happens
and I drop it and I drop it and I drop
it there's actually a problem in the
logic to conclude that that is a
universal law we trust it as a universal
blog we can use it that way that's a
good thing but in terms of its raw logic
it doesn't actually work for the same
reason that not every rectangle is a
square if you're interested in this
problem in more detail see the video we
did on why science isn't logical the
second of these questions is that you
can't derive and hot-too from an is
let's run through a scenario let's say
that I get stabbed yeah there's lots of
things that we can measure about that
situation we can measure the decibel
count of my screen we can measure the
blood flow we can measure all kinds of
visual things we can measure the the
vibrations from the impact of my body
against the pavement we can measure
actually we can do a fair amount of
statistical measurement about what was
going through the mind of the the person
who killed me like what with what was
the background whether the statistical
likelihood that this sort of thing
happens we can measure a lot of stuff
and all this stuff is stuff that is
stuff that is happening one thing that
you won't be able to measure is the
wrongness in that situation the evilness
of that these qualities of morality are
fascinating the
cuz you can't point to them you can't
measure them it's not a sound it's not a
taste it's not something you can touch
it's not something you can see directly
they're not measurable quantities David
Hume observed that many naturalist style
moral arguments would proceed from well
this is so and this is so and this is so
therefore this ought to be the case and
he called that the is aught divided well
how do you jump from a collection of
iza's to an odd we believe in a lot
everyone believes in odd cons brought
this home beautifully by saying that
basically if you are a rational being
you have to have reasons for doing
things basically every time you get out
of bed in the morning every time you do
anything you do it because you believe
that it was better than not to there is
an underlying world of odds and should
and goodness and value the undergirds
literally everything you have ever done
and ever will do this is so fundamental
it's incredible but what Hume discovered
is that it is not easy to make the
connections between what is and what
ought to be between this world of values
and the world of a sense that we inhabit
one way of reading the is op problem
would be to say that there's no such
there's no reality in our beliefs and
morality to say that it's all subjective
it's all in your head it's all you
prefer this for that yeah it's it's all
a matter of preference I don't believe
that and I don't think there's any good
reason to believe that and I don't think
that people who say they believe it
actually believe it what I do think it
demonstrates though is that in order for
human action to be rationally consistent
there has to be an undergirding belief
in in value itself
and what that is or where it comes from
is probably less important than
following it do we study truth because
it is true or do we study truth because
of this good they're inextricably linked
even though you can't directly point
from and is to a nod perhaps you can
point from a nod to it is if this video
gave you something to think about or if
you appreciate the is ought divide or
want to comment about that generally in
the comments below then please do and if
you're new to the channel please hit the
like and subscribe button below I think
it's worth your while
[Music]
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