[MD] Hume's Post-it to Ham

[Ham Priday]

Krimel --


> While it is not difficult to find quotes of him stating one position
> and then the other; it is clear throughout the work which position
> Hume takes. The idea that I have taken him out of context can
> only be the product of wishful thinking or careless reading.
>
> To one who finds ammunition in such big guns as Cusa and
> Eckhart I suppose Hume must seem minor... (Excuse me, I
> spilled coffee all over myself laughing at that.)

The position YOU are taking is that metaphysical theories are useless 
because they cannot be verified with moral or factual certitude, and you are 
using Hume to corroborate this position.  Frankly, I don't need Hume's 
"Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding" to tell me this.  I have maintained 
all along that absolute knowledge is inaccessible to man, and that the only 
discernable truths are relative within the framework of relational 
existence.

Philosophy is not Science, nor have its theories ever been presumed to be 
empirically verifiable.  Metaphysical cosmology and epistemology are 
attempts to extend man's perspective beyond the limitations of experiential 
knowledge.  Plotinus, Eckhart, Cusanus, and Leibniz are especially 
noteworthy in this regard because they've each offered a rational ontology 
to account for the appearance of diversity from primary Oneness.  Despite 
some epistemological differences and the theistic orientation (of Eckhart 
and Cusa), the conclusions of these luminaries are remarkably similar.

Those who scorn metaphysics, insisting that philosophy must serve a 
utilitarian purpose, are depriving themselves of the value that such insight 
affords us.  I believe Pirsig has tried to straddle the philosophical fence 
by avoiding metaphysical explanations while leaning heavily on Zen mysticism 
for his epistemology.  The incongruity of the Western and Eastern mindsets 
has resulted in a thesis that unfortunately lacks the cogency and 
specificity required for comprehension in the tradition of classical 
philosophy.

But of course these are only my views, and coming from a known renegade in 
this forum, I don't anticipate that they will "spoil the party".

Thanks for taking the trouble to explain Hume's position for me, Krimel.  It 
is a worthy analysis, but I do not share Stanford Encyclopedia's adulation 
for this philosopher.  (I wonder what they think of Hume's contemporary 
Bishop Berkeley?)

Best regards,
Ham