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    Hume’s “Bundle of Perceptions” and the “Problem of the I” in Brentano’s Psychology from an Empirical Standpoint: With Translations of Original Writings on Philosophy as Science by Franz Brentano


    McDonnell, Cyril (2022) Hume’s “Bundle of Perceptions” and the “Problem of the I” in Brentano’s Psychology from an Empirical Standpoint: With Translations of Original Writings on Philosophy as Science by Franz Brentano. In: Brentano and the Positive Philosophy of Comte and Mill. De Gruyter, pp. 279-308. ISBN 9783110734645

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    Abstract

    In Psychology from an Empirical Standpoint (1874), Brentano defines psychology as the science of psychical phenomena rather than study of the soul. As such, he does not address Hume’s objection regarding the existence of the soul as substantial bearer of human experiences or his conclusion that the “self” is merely “a bundle of perceptions.” Yet Brentano has an implicit understanding of the self that radically challenges various conceptions of self by Hume, Kant, Mill, Comte and others. This paper explains how Brentano circumvents Hume’s “problem of the I,” by calling into question his views on causality and outlines certain features of Brentano’s account of the self that are most relevant to its understanding and evaluation. In conclusion, it argues that there is another “problem of the I” in Brentano’s understanding of the self in PES, to which he is oblivious, but which some of his followers struggled to resolve.
    Item Type: Book Section
    Keywords: Hume; Bundle of Perceptions; Problem of the I; Brentano’s Psychology; Empirical Standpoint;
    Academic Unit: Faculty of Arts,Celtic Studies and Philosophy > Philosophy
    Item ID: 19965
    Identification Number: 10.1515/9783110734645-012
    Depositing User: Dr Cyril McDonnell
    Date Deposited: 09 Jun 2025 14:01
    Publisher: De Gruyter
    Refereed: Yes
    Related URLs:
    URI: https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/19965
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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