Dinamiche dell'abitudine. Inferenza, creazione e istituzione tra Hume e Bergson

This paper explores the relationship between inference, creation, and institution in the formation of habit. In the first part, drawing on Hume’s philosophy, we examine the skeptical view that inference arises more from habit than from reason. Building on this, and following Bergson’s critique of associationist theories, we argue that the habit of inferring does not result from mere mechanical attraction, but rather involves the continuous creation of general ideas and the active engagement of the spirit. In the final section, we introduce the concept of institution as a generative act that, by establishing an association—and thus a general idea—simultaneously delivers what it creates to future repetitions.