Hume on the Prospects for a Scientific Psychology
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19215545 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael Jacovides (0000-0001-5440-9782, Purdue University West Lafayette, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 62 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | e70050-e70050 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-5061 • E-ISSN: 1520-6696 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/jhbs.70050 |
| PMID | 41990238 |
| OpenAlex | W7154629803 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 22 |
In Section One of an Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Hume distinguishes between two sorts of writing on human nature: first, one that appeals to common sense to make virtue seem attractive and, second, one that attempts to describe the principles governing the mind. Hume's defence of the second approach is in part a defence of the possibility of scientific psychology. Within the second approach, he distinguishes two parts: first, a descriptive branch he calls 'mental geography' and, second, a branch he compares to Newton's project in astronomy. In his defence of mental geography, Hume sketches an account of his method of enquiry in psychology. Common sense describes some basic faculties, philosophers can make finer distinctions within these, and introspection allows us to reliably describe ground-level processes. Hume's vision of Newtonian psychology is one that appeals to laws and forces and finds the hidden springs of the mind. His attempt to explain causal inference by appealing to the transfer of vivacity across associated perceptions in Part 2 of Section 5 is an attempt at Newtonian psychology: it's speculative, explanatory, and enunciates a putative psychological law
Causal inference · Character (mathematics) · Common sense · Inference · Introspection · Perception · Philosophy of psychology · Section (typography) · Virtue · Academic and Historical Perspectives in Psychology · Hume's philosophy and hair distribution · Philosophical Ethics and Theory
"How Does It Work?" versus "What Are the Laws?"
Hume, Belief, and Personal Identity
How Hume Became ‘The New Hume’
Reid, Stewart and the Association of Ideas
Fodor’s guide to the Humean mind
The Imagination in Hume's Philosophy
"Origin and evolution of the term "psychology
David Hume and the Culture of Scottish Newtonianism
David Hartley and the Association of Ideas
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |