Description
David Hume's empiricist philosophy entails a kind of psychology that covers our cognitions, emotions, and motivation. While some of Hume's ideas and arguments may not be correct, this does not mean his philosophy does not apply to contemporary matters. As argued here, Hume's theory of motivation can help us understand motivation in relation to current psychological theories about motivation. More importantly, Hume's position on motivation may have anticipated the psychological phenomena of motivated reasoning. However, Hume's theory about motivation inspired the Humean Theory of Motivation, which is usually accepted within philosophical circles. The Humean Theory of Motivation is more rigid and is not open to the same naturalization as Hume's philosophy. By engaging with the current psychological understanding of motivation and motivated reasoning, we can see how Hume's philosophy is a helpful tool in thinking about motivation and motivated reasoning.
