David Hume

About the author

David Hume (1711–1776) stands as one of the most consequential figures in Western philosophy. Born in Edinburgh, this Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist built an influential system grounded in empiricism, philosophical scepticism, and metaphysical naturalism. His landmark Treatise of Human Nature (1739–40) sought a naturalistic science of man rooted in psychology.

Hume argued that causality and inductive reasoning stem from habit rather than empirical justification, and that passions — not reason — govern human behaviour. He also pioneered the is–ought problem, insisting that ethics derive from sentiment rather than abstract moral principle.