Author(s)

Fengrui Yang

Corresponding Author

Fengrui Yang

ABSTRACT

The traditional view is that Hume's causality theory is a regularity theory. At the beginning of the 20th century, Kemp Smith put forward naturalistic interpretation and advocated that there is a natural belief in cognition. Under the influence of Smith, there appeared "new Hume" who maintained realism and "old Hume" who opposed realism. The debate between them became "new Hume debate". This paper will briefly sort out the content of the debate of new Hume and point out several major problems faced by new Hume. Then we will discuss the AC system built by Blackburn and Hale's modification of the system. Based on AC system,we analyze the Frege-Geach problem faced by quasi-realism and the contradiction between the coincidence theory and the integration theory of quasi-realism. After that, this paper introduces the defense of moral coherence theory, and uses Putnam and Kripke's semantics to defend the defense. Then, this paper points out the problems existing in the defense of defense. Next, modal rationalism attempts to re integrate all the problems above, but we can still point out the problem of modal empiricism. Finally, I try to use modal empiricism to summarize all the problems of the article, and finally give a disappointed conclusion: Hume's problem is still unsolvable. This thesis involves the fields of traditional epistemology, modal epistemology, analytical philosophy, logic and philosophy of language. Taking Hume's problem as the starting point, this paper finally attempts to discuss the whole epistemology.

KEYWORDS

Hume problem, quasi-realism, modal semantics