David Hume
1711 – 1776 Scottish philosopher
The skeptic who pushed empiricism to its limits and shook the foundations of reason.
- Religion
- A religious skeptic, likely an agnostic or atheist, who criticized miracles and the design argument and was denied a professorship for his irreligion.
- Affiliations
- A leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment. No secret society.
Hume argued that our belief in cause and effect rests on habit, not logic, and that reason is the slave of the passions. His skeptical treatment of miracles and religion was radical for its time. He roused Kant from what Kant called his dogmatic slumber.
Connections
- ally of Adam Smith — Close lifelong friends and intellectual partners.
- ally of Adam Smith — Lifelong close friends among the Scottish Enlightenment.
- associate of Adam Smith — Closest friend; Smith's account of Hume's death drew more outrage than his economics.
- influenced Immanuel Kant — Kant said Hume woke him from his dogmatic slumber.