INTRODUCTION TO PHIL 437

I. Hume's Life

A. Hume's attitude toward the Treatise

II. Introduction to the Treatise

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A. The People are an infallible tribunal.

B. Introduce the Diagram of Hume's Psychology

III. The Main Issues:

A. Naturalized Epistemology and the Problem of Normativity: Descriptive vs. Normative [Justificatory] Account

B. Skeptical vs. Constructive Philosophy

Issue: How does Hume distinguish rational from irrational? Are there good forms of "reasoning" that are not produced by the faculty of reason?

IV. Hume's goal: To reconcile philosophy and common sense. What is the relation of philosophy to common sense?

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