Body Quote by David Hume
“Upon the whole, necessity is something, that exists in the mind, not in objects; nor is it possible for us ever to form the most distant idea of it, consider'd as a quality in bodies. Either we have no idea of necessity, or necessity is nothing but that determination of thought to pass from cause to effects and effects to causes, according to their experienc'd union.”
About This Quote
Source Book: A Treatise of Human Nature, 1739
Necessity is a mental construct linking causes and effects, not an external property of objects.
In simple terms: Necessity exists in thought, not in things.
Key Takeaway
Recognize cause‑effect patterns in reasoning.
Themes
philosophy
causality
epistemology
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
philosophical
theoretical
When to use this quote
- scientific analysis
- every reasoning
- historical philosophy
- education
Key Concepts
Humean skepticism
mental constructs
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we distinguish mental necessity from physical law?
- Can we trust cause‑effect reasoning without empirical evidence?
A Different Perspective
Necessity may be over‑abstracted, ignoring empirical variability.
![“I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests with ZERO-G [a charter-flight service in Arlington, Va., that uses modified Boeing 727s to simulate weightlessness], which went great.” quote by Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa1/richard-branson-256_adventure_i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-repl_903.jpg)
