Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Parmenides', 'Prerequisite to Dignity of Labour' and 'Enquiry Conc Human Understanding'

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2 ideas

20. Action / B. Preliminaries of Action / 2. Willed Action / a. Will to Act

2220	Only experience teaches us about our wills [Hume]
	Full Idea: We learn the influence of our will from experience alone.
	From: David Hume (Enquiry Conc Human Understanding [1748], VII.I.52)
	A reaction: I can, of course, produce inductive generalisations about what my will can achieve, based on some limited experiences. "I know I can master that". Hobbes (and others) say we have no experience of a 'will'. Hume should be more sceptical!

20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 4. Responsibility for Actions

2224	Praise and blame can only be given if an action proceeds from a person's character and disposition [Hume]
	Full Idea: Where actions proceed not from some cause in the character and disposition of the person who performed them, they can neither redound to his honour, if good, nor his infamy, if evil.
	From: David Hume (Enquiry Conc Human Understanding [1748], VIII.I.76)