physics

Humean definition of causality

Humean definition of causality is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Humean definition of causality rather than just read about it. In short: David Hume coined a sceptical, reductionist viewpoint on causality that inspired the logical-positivist definition of empirical law as "a regularity or universal generalization of the form 'All Cs are Es' or, whenever C, then E". The Scottish philosopher and economist believed that human mind is not equipped with the a priori ability to observe causal relations.

Key takeaways

Humean definition of causality belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Humean definition of causality to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Humean definition of causality from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

David Hume coined a sceptical, reductionist viewpoint on causality that inspired the logical-positivist definition of empirical law as "a regularity or universal generalization of the form 'All Cs are Es' or, whenever C, then E". The Scottish philosopher and economist believed that human mind is not equipped with the a priori ability to observe causal relations. Instead, all that can be experienced is one event following another. The reductionist approach to causation can be exemplified with the case of two billiard balls: one ball is moving, hits another one and stops, and the second ball is moving. In A Treatise of Human Nature Hume coined two definitions of the cause in a following way:

We may define a CAUSE to be An object precedent and contiguous to another, and where all the objects resembling the former are placed in like relations of precedency and contiguity to those objects that resemble the latter. ...

A CAUSE is an object precedent and contiguous to another, and so united with it, that the idea, of the one determines the mind to form the idea of the other, and the impression of the one to form a more lively idea of the other. also fixed eight general rules that can help in recognizing which objects are in cause-effect relation, the main four are as following:

(1) The cause and effect must be contiguous in space and time. (2) The cause must be prior to the effect. (3) There must be a constant union betwixt the cause and effect. [...] (4) The same cause always produces the same effect, and the same effect never arises but from the same cause.

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Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Humean definition of causality

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Humean definition of causality claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Humean definition of causality before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Humean definition of causality ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Humean definition of causality

In research: Humean definition of causality appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Humean definition of causality in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Humean definition of causality is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Causality, David Hume, Humeanism, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Humean definition of causality outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Humean definition of causality in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Humean definition of causality means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Humean definition of causality out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Humean definition of causality in simple terms?

Why does Humean definition of causality matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Humean definition of causality?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Humean definition of causality.