The Idea of God

Where do we come from? Is there a Higher Purpose we should be striving towards? Are we alone in the universe, or is there a higher being watching over us? These questions have plagued mankind since the very beginning of history. Philosophers have contemplated the existence of God and have come to varying conclusions. One of the more interesting conclusions, however, is the one that Hume proposes in his book, An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding. To understand his theory, one must understand his reasoning behind it.

First, Hume differentiates between impressions and ideas. (Hume 13) He claims that ideas are less lively than impressions, which are based more on sensing and have more connection with the actions that take place in our everyday lives, and come from thinking or discerning. He states that because ideas come from human thoughts, they are finite and bound by our own imagination which cannot go beyond our experiences. He states, “But though our thought seems to possess this unbounded liberty, we shall find, upon a nearer examination, that it is really confined within very narrow limits…” (Hume 13) We are unable to come up with completely new ideas because our thoughts are as limited as our own actions. He uses the example of a golden mountain. (Hume 13) One might not have ever witnessed such a sight in person, but using the familiar concepts of gold and mountains, one can imagine this new idea.

Hume later expands upon this philosophy by applying it to God. Mankind is able to imagine an infinitely intelligent and benevolent Being by expanding on the existing understanding of what it means to be good. So the concept of a god is not new but just an amalgamation of our imagination. Hume believed that God is a reflection of our own thoughts. He says in his book, An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding, “The idea of God, as meaning an infinitely intelligent, wise, and good Being, arises from reflecting on the operations of our own mind, and augmenting, without limit, those qualities of goodness and wisdom.” (Hume 14) In other words, God is a concept that humans have created based off of their desire for something greater than themselves. Because He is a manmade concept, he is bound within our own limitations. He later goes on and says that regardless of what one believes, to continue believing, proof is required. “It will then be incumbent on us, if we would maintain our doctrine, the impression or lively perception, which corresponds to it.” (Hume 14) Impressions, as Hume earlier defined them, are based on sense. So, if one wants to maintain a belief in a higher power, one has to produce tangible evidence. If God cannot be felt, seen, or heard, He cannot exist.

The hamartia in Hume’s theory is believing that man was created to be purely physical. To believe that man was created for a calling higher than this world requires faith, but as Blaise Pascal wrote in his book, Human Happiness, “Man without faith can know either true good nor justice.” (Pascal 39) To believe there is a God requires faith, but to believe there isn’t requires just as much faith. It’s simple to see that mankind isn’t meant to be just physical. That’s why philosophy exists. If humans were confined to just this earth, they wouldn’t spend so much time thinking about life after it. Philosophy is an attempt to determine how and why we should live well, and if mankind was just meant to experience the physical, there would be no point in living well. Instead, humanity’s main goal would be to live for self, since a shortsighted goal would be all that was required. Since faith is required regardless if that faith is in God, one can see that evidence, although reassuring, is not necessary to believe in something.  

However, regardless of how confident one is in their beliefs or how much evidence they believe they have to support their claims, it is important to regularly and unbiasedly examine one’s claims and take into account that they are just as capable of being wrong as they are of being right. Hume admits that belief stems from experience, which is inherently biased. “ The existence, therefore, of any being can only be proved by arguments from its cause or its effect; and these arguments are founded entirely on experience...It is only experience, which teaches us the nature and bounds of cause and effect, and enables us to infer the existence of one object from that of another.” (Hume 119-120) In other words, what Hume had experienced in his life that shaped his core beliefs and values are drastically different than what any other person has experienced in their own life, and because of these differences, each individual approaches concepts with a unique perspective and comes away with their own opinions. Because of these biases, it’s wise to take into account that one’s experience is warped and has led to the wrong conclusion, and one of the best ways of doing this is to read something that is contrary to one’s beliefs. As Aristotle once said, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” As a Christian, I feel like God’s existence is evident in every facet of our existence. I see Him in the sun that rises every morning and in the stars that shine even when I can’t see them and the way that fog settles over the ground in the early morning hours when the sky is still grey and the birds are just starting to wake up. However, I also know that others, such as Hume, need more convincing than the evidence I have to offer. This is why it’s important to constantly examine one’s faith, to ensure that it is in the right thing.  A theory only becomes a law if it has been repeatedly been tested and held up to scrutiny.