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Full Idea
In his 'shade of blue' example, Hume is (sensibly) endorsing a type of reasoning - interpolation - that is widely used by rational thinkers. Too bad that interpolation and extrapolation are incurably invalid.
Clarification
Hume admits he might know a shade of blue he had never experienced
Gist of Idea
Hume allows interpolation, even though it and extrapolation are not actually valid
Source
George Molnar (Powers [1998], 7.2.3)
Book Ref
Molnar,George: 'Powers: a study in metaphysics', ed/tr. Mumford,Stephen [OUP 2003], p.123
A Reaction
Interpolation and extrapolation are two aspects of inductive reasoning which contribute to our notion of best explanation. Empiricism has to allow at least some knowledge which goes beyond strict direct experience.
Related Ideas
Idea 23421 If a person had a gap in their experience of blue shades, they could imaginatively fill it in [Hume]
Idea 5572 Reason has logical and transcendental faculties [Kant]
| 11385 | Universal principles are not primary beings, but particular principles are not universally knowable [Aristotle] |
| 12367 | What is most universal is furthest away, and the particulars are nearest [Aristotle] |
| 12380 | Universals are valuable because they make the explanations plain [Aristotle] |
| 12385 | Are particulars explained more by universals, or by other particulars? [Aristotle] |
| 11243 | Aristotelian explanations are facts, while modern explanations depend on human conceptions [Aristotle, by Politis] |
| 21473 | All knowledge and explanation rests on the inexplicable [Schopenhauer] |
| 17086 | Surprisingly, empiricists before Mill ignore explanation, which seems to transcend experience [Mill, by Ruben] |
| 15831 | Explanations have states of affairs as their objects [Chisholm] |
| 8347 | Explanations typically relate statements, not events [Davidson] |
| 14470 | Explanatory exclusion: there cannot be two separate complete explanations of a single event [Kim] |
| 17081 | Usually explanations just involve giving information, with no reference to the act of explanation [Ruben] |
| 11951 | Hume allows interpolation, even though it and extrapolation are not actually valid [Molnar] |
| 16850 | Explanation may describe induction, but may not show how it justifies, or leads to truth [Lipton] |
| 15005 | Explanations must cite generalisations [Sider] |
| 15692 | People tend to be satisfied with shallow explanations [Gelman] |
| 6754 | We talk both of 'people' explaining things, and of 'facts' explaining things [Bird] |
| 6752 | The objective component of explanations is the things that must exist for the explanation [Bird] |
| 17324 | 'Because' can signal an inference rather than an explanation [Liggins] |