Semantics And Hume's Philosophy

Semantics, in Hume’s mind, is the reason for the dispute between free will and determinism. In short, Hume believed that differences in the definitions of liberty and necessity cause people to choose sides, when, in actuality, both sides can be correct. In addition to this mutual inclusivity, Hume also believed that the common definitions of liberty and necessity coincide, a view that eventually led him to look to redefine liberty and necessity in order to demonstrate that both undoubtedly exist together in our world.

First, Hume shows how necessity is present in our lives. He points out that we exist in an orderly and logical world, and that many events that we perceive to be the result of another action are actually determined by logical laws of nature. Hume argues that the exactness of these effects stems solely from the natural forces responsible for guiding our lives, and also that we falsely assume causal relationships between events because of our limited viewpoint.

Simply put, Hume believes that because we are incapable of perceiving the totality of existence and the natural laws that dictate it, we falsely connect events in an attempt to derive a visible rationale for everyday occurrences. Yet, given how precise actions and results are, they must be the product of a natural and necessary force --- which, coincidentally, is why we see what we think are connections in the world surrounding us.

Later, Hume discusses liberty, which is essentially free will. In his prior argument about necessity, Hume firmly established that we will never be able to rationally perceive any necessary connection between events. Therefore, with no actual connections, then liberty should be compared with constraint which would be acting against on...

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...that Hume recognizes that the circumstances surrounding people differ drastically, and so their lives differ drastically as well. These ‘natural forces,’ which he is so fond of, subject people to the same experience, but our unique situations mean they effect each one of us differently.

Yet, some may say that if Hume’s definition is to be believed, if everyone had a common origin then we would all progress in the same way. This view is flawed because, although many people come from a common place, the exact nature of their lives, and the multiple options presented to them allow for people to set off down different paths --- eventually leading to the wonderful diversity that we see today. This response still doesn’t obstruct the definitions of necessity or liberty set forth by Hume; people have choices and results are still guided by the natural laws of the universe.