TO SAVE HUME OR WAS THERE ANY CONTRADICTION IN ONE OF HIS CENTRAL ARGUMENTS

Abstract

The article deals with the analysis of S. Botros’s book, which found a contradiction in the motivation argument by D. Hume. The author proves that S. Botros’s conclusions were unconvincing and at the same time tries to find the source of ideas given in her book. He supposes that they were caused by the wrong interpretation of one of the central notions by D. Hume, i. e. the idea of belief. An attempt was made to protect the irrational interpretation of this notion. It was shown that Hume’s belief in its pure form has pre-reflexive essence prior to rationality. This pre-reflexive belief but not intellect gives rise to morale, according to D. Hume and this belief could free us from extreme skepticism.

Keywords

• d. hume
• motivation argument
• intellect inertness
• habit