"This influence of the will we know by consciousness." Section VII, Part I, pg. 42
"But consciousness never deceives. Consequently, neither in the one case nor in the other, are we ever conscious of any power. We learn the influence of our will from experience alone. And experience only teaches us, how one event constantly follows another; without instructing us in the secret connexion, which binds them together, and renders them inseparable." Section VII, Part I, pg. 43
This is the beginning of Hume's discussion on the "necessary connexion" by which two events are related. These passages are a bit of a tease; Hume asserts that the influence of the will is something that can be known and taken as truth, but then rejects the idea that impulses of the will connect actions. Yes, the influence of the will can be seen in our experiences. According to Hume, however, this tells us nothing about the power that relates these events. It is only by repeated circumstances (custom/habit) that we begin to "feel a new sentiment or impression, to wit a customary connexion in the thought or imagination between one object and its usual attendant" (Section VII, Part II, pg. 52). Personally, I find the the influence of the will much more convincing than the description of some inherent "feeling" that leads one to the "necessary connexion." Throughout the work, Hume dismisses experience as unreliable because it is so fickle. In my opinion, feelings are even less conclusive than actual experience. Why/How does Hume find solace in the connexion that we "feel in the mind" (Section VII, Pat II, pg. 50)?
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