Abstract

This study examines both David Hume's and Jorge Luis Borges's skeptical positions with regard to the external world and the self. Emphasis, however, is deliberately given to the Argentine writer, whose works are approached in the light of Hume's doctrine. There are important reasons for such a comparative study. Borges's interest in the British cultural tradition is unquestionable. This interest is inseparable from the distinctive philosophical orientation of his whole production, which finds inspiration in various sources. A major one is British empiricism. The impact of Hume's doctrine, in particular, is remarkable. The Scottish philosopher helps us understand Borges's fiction and the nature of his skepticism in general. Additionally, the Argentine writer illustrates Hume's doctrine through effective metaphors of far-reaching implications. From a contemporary philosophical standpoint, Borges presents an illuminating and challenging interpretation of both the merits and the limits of Hume's doctrine. ;The first chapter addresses the claim "Via the dialectics of Berkeley and Hume I have arrived at Schopenhauer's dictum," that appears in the concluding pages of "Nueva refutacion del tiempo." ;The second chapter treats Borges's use of the term "idealism" with regard to the concepts of "space," the "self," and "time." "Nueva refutacion del tiempo," contains important views that need to be addressed from a strictly philosophical angle. ;The third chapter deals with theories of perception. Hume's epistemological distinction between "impressions" and "ideas" is discussed, together with the role that this distinction plays in scientific knowledge. The next chapter addresses a comparative study of "Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius" and Treatise 1. 4. 2. Representationism is criticized on the basis of the Berkeleyan premise esse est percipi, while Hume's positive doctrine sets the limits of extreme skepticism. The incomprehensibility of the Tlonian languages corroborates Hume's naturalism: common sense beliefs are unavoidable, a fact that is ultimately mirrored in our natural languages. ;Chapter five discusses both Hume's and Borges's views on metaphysics. How should questions about the external world be interpreted? The stories "Funes el memorioso," "El inmortal," and "El Aleph" are here discussed from an epistemological standpoint that regards metaphysical postulations as a kind of nonsensical language.