Hume believes that the self is an illusion or a fiction. What is his argument? Do you find it convincing? Why or why not?
Perception is a main focus of Hume’s during this excerpt. He talks of a theory that other philosophers say that “we are every moment intimately conscious of what we call our self” and while this happens we are aware of its perfect identity and simplicity. Hume also says that pain and pleasure, grief and joy, passions and sensations succeed each other and are never experienced at the same time and since these are distinguishable and separate from each other have no need of a thing to support their existence. He says he can never find himself as he is while most intimately in himself to see anything other than perception which I think can also be experiences. And the only time he is removed from his perceptions is when he sleeps and he does not exist and further from that the only way possibly to not exist at all is by death. He believes that collectively the human race is a bundle of perceptions. Through these perceptions or experiences people are able to find their identity.
When people find their identity through experiences they are then shared with others which help people relate to each other through these shared perceptions. He also talks about how memories do not necessarily produce personal identity as they do help discover personal identity.
This idea that who we are as people is based off of perception is somewhat believable theory. People may say that perception is reality and then in that case to what I think Hume is trying to say would be completely true because as my mind perceives then that would have to be true. But in a way I can say that I do not necessarily agree because I have had many different perceptions of many different things and while they may influence to a certain extent of what I believe and what I do they do not necessarily make me who I am. To say that I am constricted only to my perceptions almost makes me feel as though I am selling myself short. I think where I would differ from Hume is that while I do believe perception/experiences influence decisions also thought separate from perception makes a difference in decision making. You are as much intimately conscious of yourself as you are with your perception and with yourself and your perceptions that makes you who you are.
bryanhorsting 