John Locke’s argument is based on refutation of the notion of existence of innate ideas in the human mind. He argues that all ideas existing in the human mind came about because of particular experiences and encounters. The concept of a yellow banana, if it was to be analyzed in terms of John Locke, would entail deep mental analysis and synthesis and prove that its inception is not as simple as it seems. We have to analyze the concept of a yellow banana in terms of its primary qualities and its secondary qualities. Primary qualities mainly entail the physical qualities or properties of a body. Thus, one’s yellow banana is first a solid object with a conical shape that is slightly curved. It is small approximately five inches long. Secondary qualities chiefly entail the ability within an object to induce ideas within people. With reference to the yellow banana, color is the most obvious secondary quality. The banana is yellow in color. The banana has a sweet taste, which delights the taste buds. The banana also has a weak scent that resembles that of a fruit.
Hume is right in his assertion that the self is simply a human construct. It represents a fictional entity invented to account for the physiological urge to believe there exists an entity, which is the subject of one's ideas and impressions.it is impossible to derive the self from perception and the notion of existence of a self cannot be backed or demonstrated by any mathematical proofs. The external world comes about because of one's perceptions. We know the external world exists because we can perceive it and we cannot claim any knowledge of the world outside of one's perceptions. All we have as ones back up is our perceptions, and it is impossible to perceive outside our perceptions. One’s knowledge base is chiefly reliant on continuity and eventual succession of impressions or ideas. The self is not perceived, and it is not something we are capable of demonstrating thus there exists absolutely no justification for belief in its existence. There exists the possibility that the existence of the self is nothing more than one of one's many subjective ideas and the notion that existence of the self is dependent on a person’s mind cannot be refuted with perceivable evidence.
Hume’s concept of the rejection of the concept of existence of universal causation is flawless. All that is clearly perceived is continuity and eventual succession of numerous ideas and impressions. Cause cannot be perceived, and it cannot be demonstrated. Causation creates the impression of the existence of a unique relationship between perceived events and there is absolutely no justification for believing in the existence of this relationship since it cannot be perceived thus there also exists any justification for belief in the cause. The only justifiable perceptions we have are the impression existing presently, one's ideas about the impression and the inference we make from a person’s ideas. Causation factors are only something existent in the human mind. This insight is very impactful in relation to scientific disciplines.in scientific disciplines hard and tangible evidence has to be presented, vetted, and its admissibility proven before it can be accepted as gospel truth. Experimental methods mainly applied in scientific disciplines tend to seek evidence for or against a set notion, but since causation does not exist, the results of the scientific experiments are mere states of the involved substances that were already in existence but had not yet been perceived.
Works Cited
Hume, David, L. A. Bigge, and P. H. Nidditch. A treatise of human nature. 2d ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press; 2004. Print.
Locke, John. An essay concerning human understanding. Raleigh, N.C.: Alex Catalogue, 2003. Print.
