# Section V: Of Relations explained — A Treatise of Human Nature

> Chapter companion for A Treatise of Human Nature by David Hume.

## What happens

Hume distinguishes between natural relations, which connect ideas in the imagination, and philosophical relations, which are arbitrary comparisons. He enumerates seven fundamental philosophical relations: resemblance, identity, space and time, quantity/number, degrees of quality, contrariety, and cause and effect. He notes that resemblance is essential to all relations, and that difference is a negation rather than a positive relation.

## Themes in this chapter

### Association of Ideas

Hume distinguishes natural relations that connect ideas in the imagination from philosophical relations based on arbitrary comparison.

### Empiricism and the Primacy of Impressions

The classification of relations is grounded in empirical observation and the comparison of objects.

## Character check-ins

### David Hume

Author and narrator, presenting the classification of relations.

## Key lines

> The word Relation is commonly used in two senses considerably different from each other.

The term 'relation' has two distinct meanings: one referring to the natural connection of ideas, and the other to any basis for comparison.

_Hume sets up the distinction between natural and philosophical relations._

> The first is resemblance: And this is a relation, without which no philosophical relation can exist; since no objects will admit of comparison, but what have some degree of resemblance.

Resemblance is the foundational relation; without it, no comparison is possible.

_Hume emphasizes the primacy of resemblance in all relations._

> All other objects, such as fire and water, heat and cold, are only found to be contrary from experience, and from the contrariety of their causes or effects; which relation of cause and effect is a seventh philosophical relation, as well as a natural one.

Contrariety among objects is learned through experience and is tied to cause and effect, which is both a natural and philosophical relation.

_Hume connects contrariety to causal reasoning, a key theme._

## Links

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