David Hume (1711–76)

David Hume was a famous Scottish philosopher who was known mostly for his skeptical views regarding the certainty of knowledge. Hume challenged traditional views of cause and effect and argued that reason and empirical experience cannot show the connection between objects. Thus, conclusions based on past experience and observations are not certain. For example, one cannot know for sure that a tree which has always lost its leaves in the fall will certainly lose its leaves this fall. Also, past experience and reason does not guarantee that the sun will rise tomorrow. Hume used the game of billiards to illustrate his view of cause and effect. According to Hume, one may assume that the stick hits the cue ball which causes another ball to go into a pocket, but one cannot know with certainty that there was a causal connection between the stick, cue ball, other ball, and the pocket.

Hume was also famous for his skepticism in regard to metaphysics and religion. He rejected traditional religion believing that it was a cover for prejudice and dogmatism. He believed that all religious sentiment comes from two emotions—hope and fear. Hume also asserted that the existence of God cannot be proven by arguments from cause and effect. He attacked the ontological, cosmological, and teleological proofs for God’s existence. Hume also did not accept argument from miracles for God’s existence. According to Hume, the report of a miracle was more likely to be a false report than a true one.

Hume had a major impact on the philosopher, Immanuel Kant, who declared that Hume had awoken him from his “dogmatic slumber.” Hume’s famous works include An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding, A Treatise of Human Nature, and An Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals. Hume died of bowel cancer in 1776.