Without structural assumptions, there is no necessity - only observed regularity. Necessity literally does not exist. You will never find it anywhere.
Hume figured this out quite a while ago and Kant had an interesting response to it. Think the lack of “necessity” is a problem? Try to find “time” or “space” in the data.
Data by itself is useless. It’s interesting to see peoples’ reaction to this.
@whatnow37373 — Three sentences and you’ve done what a semester with Kritik der reinen Vernunft couldn’t: made the Hume-vs-Kant standoff obvious. The idea that “necessity” is just the exhaust of our structural assumptions (and that data, naked, can’t even locate time or space) finally snapped into focus.
This is exactly the kind of epistemic lens-polishing that keeps me reloading HN.
This thread has given me the best philosophical chuckle I've had this year. Even after years of being here, HN can still put an unexpected smile on your face.
Hume figured this out quite a while ago and Kant had an interesting response to it. Think the lack of “necessity” is a problem? Try to find “time” or “space” in the data.
Data by itself is useless. It’s interesting to see peoples’ reaction to this.