A Treatise of Human Nature

Part 1

According to Hume, cause in itself is a negation of effect, but in our minds cause is often linked to an effect developed through experience that we expose ourselves to. When a cause is related to an effect on our minds, it becomes superior in that there is a connection between the two. However, according to Hume, a cause is never related to an effect only that a chance that is superior makes cause and effect be related. As Hume gives the example of the rising sun in the morning. Being purely of an effect or perhaps the cause in which in this case is the end of the night, this cause is viewed as superior and an often resultant of effect which is the rising of the sun based on evidence developed through experience and observation (Hume, 2006). In the actual sense, there are no provable facts that the effect of the sun rising is as a result of the cause however the cause has been made superior by the repeated effect of the rising sun. Few instances have led to the indifference in the minds of the people as regards to cause resulting in an effect. In an example a dice is given, when the dice is thrown having all its sides marked with different colors or numbers. The chance of a number or a particular color being the outcome always is very indifferent given the fact that the dice has more than two chances; therefore, making it hard to a superior chance that one number of color may have over others.

Part 2

According to the excerpt, it is clear that the argument presented by Hume as a primarily demonstrative argument. Hume begins by explaining the position of human reasoning which takes two stands, knowledge and probability. However according to Hume probability has not been fully explained thereby prompting him to express his thoughts freely furthermore so on the subject of the cause and effect. To understand the demonstrativeness of the argument is it is worth going through some explanations that are presented by Hume. In this case, it brings a clear refute that cause is indifferent to effects, but the conjunction produced by experience has no claim or prove. It, therefore, becomes evident that one's negation of a cause and one's complete indifference effect cannot be inferior or superior to one another rather the two have equal chances even though experience tries to raise one to be superior to the other. Hume attempts to elaborate the difference that exists between cause and effect to a point of using examples so as to indicate clearly the difference that exists between the two indifferent yet always related factors, cause and effect (Hume, 2006).

Cause happens independently of effect while the effect may, on the other hand, be as a result of the cause. It does not give rise to absolute cause and effect that may arise in it, but the cause may or may not lead to an effect which means cause may result in different probabilities which are might be in different and unrelated. In many instances we have fallen under our observation which has created in our minds the relatedness of cause and effect, it is through this relation that every time there is a chance of an even occurring then there is an effect to the chance which is of the cause. According to Hume, the human mind is free to think and make observations which are not in any way relating effect to cause but observations which have created an experience in our minds have reduced our minds into seeing no indifference between cause and effect but to relate them. From the two examples used to elaborate the ever existing conjunction between cause and effect in our minds is purely brought about by observations which results in experience through numerous observations of related events over time while having the effect as a consequence of the cause in the course of observation.

Demonstrative and probable arguments as explained by Hume on page 89 gives room for tentative as well as taught-to-true arguments. In the demonstration arguments, Hume clearly lays out the use of examples which he thinks better explains the issues of the probability of cause and effect. In the second case, probable arguments give a wider view of the matter of cause and effect while having in mind the examples of chances, observation, and experience which creates the conjunction between cause and effect yet they are completely indifferent to each other. Cause is a complete negation of an effect thereby making it purely probable and demonstrative argument. Additionally, because of the freedom of thought, Hume demonstrates the need of freeing minds from relating the indifferent cause and effect. It makes it a case that is worth thinking about since the elaborate demonstration that one can have a second thought and perhaps understand the indifference that that exists to it.

Reference

Hume, D. (2006). A treatise of human nature . Oxford: Clarendon Press.