David Hume on Determinism

Blog Prompt 20: “The Obviousness of the Truth of Determinism”

According to some philosophers, one of the consequences of the argument against free will is that we are not responsible for our actions. David Hume agrees with the foundations of this argument and finds the argument to be valid in reasoning. David Hume states that “it is universally allowed that matter, in all its operations, is actuated by a necessary force, and that every natural effect is so precisely determined by the energy of its cause that no other effect, in such particular circumstances, could possibly have resulted from it.” (Hume,1) This statement is a clear depiction of Hume’s beliefs on determinism. Similar to the argument of other philosophers, Hume also believes that our individual actions are the result from natural forces of “cause and effect” and that ultimately there is no individual free will. He asserts that all actions are ultimately determined by the laws of nature.

Furthermore, Hume explains that “our idea, therefore, of necessity and causation arises entirely from the uniformity observable in the operations of nature, where similar objects are constantly conjoined together, and the mind is determined by custom to infer the one from the appearance of the other.”(Hume, 2) This statement explains how objects and events are joined together in nature and are not disconnected but rather connected to one another. Therefore for every action, there is an equal or greater reaction. The natural law of cause and effect determines the outcome of an individual choice. Since the outcome of our choice is determined by the action or cause that previously came before it, there ultimately is no individual free will. All individual choices and actions are the result or effect of the previous cause.  Therefore, the lack of individual free will leads to a lack of accountability in one’s actions.

Hume states that, “It may only, perhaps, be pretended that the mind can perceive, in the operations of matter, some farther connection between the cause and effect; and connection that has no place in voluntary actions of intelligent beings. Now whether it be so or not, can only appear upon examination and it is incumbent on these philosophers to make good their assertion, by defining or describing that necessity, and pointing it out to us in the operations of material causes” ( Hume, 4). This statement explains that the mind acts in terms of cause and effect and that every action we take is the result or effect of the cause or the action that came before it. For example, when i am getting ready for school in the morning, I always check the weather first so I know what to expect. The outfit that I choose is based off of the weather. Do I then have complete free will on what outfit I wear if the outfit selected (the effect)  is determined by the current weather? (the cause)  The connection between cause and effect is not a voluntary action and are determined by the natural laws of nature. Since the outcome of the choice is not a voluntary action, then ultimately an individual does not have free will.

(Total Word Count: 526 words)