Understanding Hume’s Distinction: Matters of Fact vs. Relations of Ideas

According to Hume’s distinction between matters of fact and relations of ideas, only the following is a matter of fact:

There are seven continents.

According to Hume’s distinction between matters of fact and relations of ideas, a matter of fact can be defined as a statement that can be confirmed or denied by sensory experience. Therefore, only empirical propositions are considered as matters of fact.

For example, the statement “the sun rises in the east” is a matter of fact because it can be observed and verified by empirical evidence. On the other hand, a relation of ideas is a statement that is true by logical necessity, regardless of any empirical evidence.

For instance, the statement “all bachelors are unmarried” is a relation of ideas because it is true by definition and does not require any observation or experience to prove its truth.

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