{
  "aliases": null,
  "backlinks": null,
  "body": "\n## Statement\n\nWilliam L. Rowe characterises the Hume-Edwards principle, referring to arguments presented by David Hume, and later Paul Edwards, in their criticisms of the cosmological argument:\n\n\"If the existence of every member of a set is explained, the existence of that set is thereby explained.\"\n\nThe principle stipulates that a causal series—even one that regresses to infinity—requires no explanatory causes beyond those that are members within that series. If every member of a series has a causal explanation within the sequence, the series in itself is explanatorily complete. Thus, it rejects arguments, such as by Duns Scotus, for the existence of higher-order, efficient causes that govern the basic principles of material causation. Notably, it contradicts Hume's own *Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion*, in which the character Demea reflects that, even if a succession of causes is infinite, the very existence of the chain still requires a cause.\n",
  "commit": "4a3290d299c8b2cd6493fce2296920ba7f82d942",
  "front": {
    "inventory": [
      "Z66BNRCGA5"
    ],
    "kind": "statement",
    "name": "The Hume-Edwards principle",
    "role": "proposition",
    "sources": [
      {
        "locator": "Cosmological argument, section Criticism and discourse \u003e The Hume-Edwards principle",
        "mention": "wikipedia://en/6516#AVZH",
        "note": "adopted",
        "sections": [
          "Statement"
        ],
        "wikipedia": "en:6516@r1364961844"
      }
    ],
    "tag": "TV3DXQWTR7"
  },
  "kind": "statement",
  "link": "https://math2.tamnd.com/node/TV3DXQWTR7/",
  "links": null,
  "markdown": "https://math2.tamnd.com/node/TV3DXQWTR7.md",
  "msc": null,
  "name": "The Hume-Edwards principle",
  "prov": null,
  "role": "proposition",
  "source": "https://github.com/tamnd/math2/blob/main/nodes/TV3/TV3DXQWTR7.md",
  "status": null,
  "tag": "TV3DXQWTR7",
  "uri": "m2://TV3DXQWTR7",
  "url": "https://math2.tamnd.com/wiki/the-hume-edwards-principle/",
  "writing": {
    "tag": "TV3DXQWTR7",
    "kind": "statement",
    "level": "W0",
    "next": [
      {
        "what": "edge uses out",
        "note": "each definition that the statement needs",
        "have": 0,
        "want": 1
      }
    ]
  }
}