# 135: Hume v/s Nietzsche - On Causality, Free Will & Habit

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-nietzsche-podcast-4138222/135-hume-v-s-nietzsche-on-causality-free-will-habit
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-nietzsche-podcast-4138222/135-hume-v-s-nietzsche-on-causality-free-will-habit.md
Podcast: [The Nietzsche Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-nietzsche-podcast-4138222)
Published: 2026-03-10T13:49:54+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/untimely-reflections/episodes/135-Hume-vs-Nietzsche---On-Causality--Free-Will--Habit-e3g7kfn
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/APO9183206098.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-nietzsche-podcast-4138222/episodes/135-hume-v-s-nietzsche-on-causality-free-will-habit
Duration seconds: 6187

## Resource

In this episode, we'll compare Nietzsche's view of causality, habit, and free will to Hume. Although, in substance, they make very similar arguments, we'll explore important differences. Nietzsche arrives at his critique of causality through his attack on free will, and the subsequent understanding of metaphysical beliefs as necessitated by moral beliefs - whereas for Hume, the issue of liberty versus necessity is secondary to the critique of reason's ability to derive necessary connexions. For Hume, habit cannot be further explained, because this would be to ignore our practical affirmation of habit and the insufficiency of reason; Nietzsche wishes to investigate the genealogy of habit as part of his critique of morals. Perhaps most importantly, Hume places his philosophy in "subserviency" to the easy and obvious philosophy of commonsense, whereas Nietzsche sets his philosophy against common sense - and everything "common".

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-nietzsche-podcast-4138222/episodes/135-hume-v-s-nietzsche-on-causality-free-will-habit/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-nietzsche-podcast-4138222/135-hume-v-s-nietzsche-on-causality-free-will-habit.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.