I was just reading John Henry Newman considering Hume, then this video popped up. Great to listen in here, so clear. Many thanks.

Thanks! I enjoy this series.

This was informative! Thanks 👍

Thanks Professor Hicks, I read some excerpts of Hume when I took some college classes, but this analytic summation is more exculpatory. It strikes me that, were I to pinpoint my own implicit philosophical perspective, it would probably most closely resemble Humean empiricism. To incorporate popular culture, my favorite film is probably the neo-noir Memento. The film explores precisely these ideas, likely drawing on Hume's work. The protagonist internalizes ideas, by literally taking and collecting pictures. He relies on these mementos as a guide, but self-deception is a major factor. He relies on some memories, but they are distorted, fragmented or misleading. Nevertheless, despite flaws in both inductive and deductive reasoning, the character essentially labors to apply the empirical method as consistently as possible. The audience, via a clever technical filmic retrospective, gradually learns that he is not purely "acting on instinct," although he propounds as much, and thus perhaps feigns a degree of nihilism. To also incorporate a sociological element, (and without subscribing to, nor wishing to expound any kind of robust Marxist analysis,) it is typical of the noir genre to discuss social class. Interestingly combined with the above philosophical considerations, it is implied that the upper class involves a sense of history, and an opportunity to recognize oneself in that shared story. This framing entails an ability to 'remember' oneself, and therein, connotes a well-formed identity as the ultimate determinant of high social class. The lower class has little context for societal engagement, a fragmented and fractured life experience, a lack of continuity and comfortable predictability, and a lack of perspective on oneself. The protagonist previously had the ability to retain clear recollections, and lived life within the context of a reassuring narrative, involving place, relationships, and a career. Subsequently, he descends to a lower social class, thus a commentary on the state of the society and the country over the past several decades is also present. Having descended in such a fashion, the optimal direction of travel for the protagonist, the audience, and for society as a whole, is backwards. Although this aspect resembles a Conservative trope, to nostalgically pine for a previous era, undoubtedly a sociopolitically bipartisan sentiment can be abstracted from this particular work. Although the character's clear sense of self and continuity have been lost, it is through an incremental, vicarious recapitulation of previous events and experiences, that a coherent rendering of a complete narrative arc is reestablished, and transmitted to the audience. It is perhaps always through a similar process, that people recognize themselves, analyze and understand the world, and ultimately engage with society.

Other episodes in the *Philosophers, Explained* series include: 31. Bertrand Russell on the Value of Philosophy 32. Derrick Bell on Racial Realism 33. Jacques Derrida on Insanity versus Reason 34. Michel Foucault on Power and Sexuality 35. Francis Bacon on the New Philosophy and Science

Hume…The anti-philosopher. The father of absurdity perhaps?