David Hume

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Śyāmasundara: So today we are discussing philosopher David Hume. He is probably the most famous of the British philosophers. He was very skeptic about achieving certain knowledge, so he came to the conclusion that the only knowledge we can possess is a mere sequence of ideas, none of which can be

proved to be true. In other words, we can only derive any knowledge from our senses, but even that knowledge is mere assumption.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We say also, because our senses are imperfect, so there is no possibility of achieving perfect knowledge by sense exercise. It is not possible. That is our philosophy.

Śyāmasundara: He says there is no other source of knowledge except the senses.

Prabhupāda: No. We don't agree. Therefore it is called av-manas gocara, adhokaja--there are so many names. Senses imperfect. They cannot reach. Just like we cannot know what is there in the sun, but a geologist or astronomer, he can say, one who has studied. Therefore our process of knowledge is to take from the authorities. That is perfect. Our senses cannot read, that is a fact. But it is not that without senses, no knowledge can be... No. We receive by senses, but from superior authority, one who knows. That is perfect knowledge. According to him, there is no possibility of having perfect knowledge?

Śyāmasundara: Yes. He says that all that we are, all that we know, is merely ideas, a sequence of ideas.

Prabhupāda: But behind the ideas there must be some fact; otherwise how we get the ideas?

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