David Hume (1711–1776) was a Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist known for his philosophical empiricism and skepticism. He is one of the most influential figures in the history of Western philosophy and the Scottish Enlightenment.
Hume was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and attended the University of Edinburgh. Although he considered a career in law, he found himself drawn to philosophy. Lack of financial means led him to take various positions, including as a tutor and a diplomat’s secretary, while he pursued his philosophical interests.
In his “A Treatise of Human Nature” (1739-40), Hume argued that all of our mental content comes from either ‘impressions’ or ‘ideas.’ Impressions, which are the direct, vivid, and forceful products of immediate experience, give rise to ideas, which are merely copies of these original impressions. Hume’s empiricism denies the existence of anything that we cannot experience through our senses.
One of Hume’s most influential ideas was his concept of causality. He suggested that our belief in cause and effect, where we assume that certain events lead to certain outcomes, is not based on reason or on any direct experience, but rather on habit and regularity.
Hume’s “Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion” (published posthumously in 1779) provides a classic critique of the argument from design, which posits that the complexity and beauty of the universe imply a divine designer.
Hume’s work laid the foundation for much of the philosophy of science, and his ideas continue to stimulate discussions in metaphysics, ethics, and philosophy of religion. Despite facing much opposition during his lifetime due to his religious skepticism, Hume’s legacy in philosophy is substantial, with ongoing influence in areas as diverse as cognitive science, moral theory, philosophy of religion, and political theory.