Abstract:

This essay examines the content, context and relevance of Hume's characterization of the human condition in the Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding as "whimsical." According to Hume, human beings are by nature both theoretical and practical beings and the whimsical condition is an instability generated by both theory and practice. It is the fact that by nature human beings must and do act, reason and believe with assurance and conviction, but are unable to satisfy their natural desire to justify their assurances and convictions. On Hume's account, this skepticism is cancelled neither by theoretical reflection nor human practice. Finally, Hume's text suggests that human beings suffer the "whimsical condition of mankind" not only collectively, but that it is a condition human beings experience individually, including dogmatic reasoners.

摘要：

本文在有关人类理解的探究中考察了休ume描述人类状况的内容，背景和相关性。如“异想天开”。休ume认为，人类天生既是理论上的也是实践上的存在，异想天开的状况是理论和实践都产生​​的不稳定。事实是，人类天生必须并且确实要以肯定和信念行事，推理并相信，但无法满足其为证明自己的保证和信念辩护的自然愿望。根据休ume的说法，这种怀疑主义并没有被理论反思或人类实践所抵消。最后，休ume的著作表明，人类不仅集体遭受“人类的异想天开的状况”，而且这是人类个体经历的状况，包括教条主义的推理者。