David Hume is most commonly known as one of the most important philosophers to ever write in the English language. His development of extreme skepticism in philosophy, and rejection of traditional metaphysics, has been integral to the development of modern philosophical thinking. Although philosophers of the past three hundred years may owe a great debt to him, and his main legacy today is as a philosopher, Hume, in his lifetime, gained the most acclaim as a historian. His work The History of Great Britain, published from 1754 to 1762, is a six-volume analysis of British history form the time of the Roman occupation until the first of the Stuart monarchs. "The first Quality of a historian is to be true and impartial; the next is to be interesting,"" said Hume. Hume wanted to produce an unbiased history that was interesting for a common citizen to read. Hume's main focus in this voluminous work is to convey an understanding of the British constitution and its history, without factional, or partisan, biases. Hume views his history as free from the traditional prejudices litter British histories, and is also quick to point out his superiority to these historians. Although the liberal Hume labeled himself as "a Whig, but a very skeptical one."" Hume is quick to slam the Whig histories of the past that tried to portray the monarch as a consummately overstepping the bounds of the constitution and infringing on the rights of the House of Commons. In fact some critics, such as Victor G. Wexler, believe Hume's portrayal of the House of Commons as the incessant aggressor, shows a royalist partiality. The idea of a bias free history is almost absurd, but in his History of Great Britain Hume feels he does an excellent job in presenting one and more specifically an account of the nature of the British constitution. .
Hume was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on May 7, 1711. His father died when he was two year's old and he was raised by his mother.
For Hume the highest court of appeal is probability. ... Hume says that witnesses with conflicts of interest are unreliable. I think these are the only unreliable witnesses that Hume discusses. ... Hume says that people believe in miracles for three reasons. ... All Hume is doing is avoiding answering the real question. ...
Has the Design Argument been forever altered by Hume? Can it render service in post-Hume discussions? ... Then, Hume raises an objection. ... If Hume is right the implications are far-reaching. ... Such a class of topics Hume renders unwarranted. ...
Born in Edinburgh, Hume was intended to go into law. ... In 1776 David Hume died from a tumour in his liver. One of Hume's beliefs was his view on the external world. ... This relates to Hume's Beliefs on Miracles. ... Hume had strong thoughts about the grounds of morality. ...
Hume argues that doctrine both of necessity and liberty hold true. ... Hume goes on to say that it has been noted that there is a "great uniformity" in the actions of men. ... Hume goes on further to define liberty as the power of acting or not acting according to the determinations of the will of a being. Hume asserts that everyone will side with this view and since deliberations based on will are possible, liberty holds true. Thus, Hume goes on to prove his point that liberty and necessity hold true. ...
According to Hume knowledge of matters of fact come from previous experience. ... It can be affirmed that 2 + 2 equals 4, according to Hume's "relations of ideas." ... By claiming that the sun will rise tomorrow according to Hume is not false, nor is it true. ... Hume grouped perceptions and experiences into one of two categories: impressions and ideas. (238) According to Hume, ideas are memories of sensations but impressions are the cause of the sensation. ... Hume believed that ideas were just dull imitations of impressions. ...
Hume provides two reasons supporting this claim. ... (Hume,634) His second reason is supported by those with a defected organ. ... (Hume,634) Ideas are faint copies of these impressions, caused by one's reflection. ... Hume supports this claim with an example concerning the nourishment of bread. ... (W,64) Warnock gives an example illustrating this objection on Hume's argument. ...
What is Hume's problem of induction? ... Hume first wrote " a treatise of Human nature " which as Hume put it "fell stillborn from the press" it was "An enquiry concerning human understanding" (from here this will be referred to as "the enquiry") in which Hume put forward, in the form we are concerned with, the problem of induction and his own response to that problem. ... Arguably Hume's most famous contribution to philosophy was the problem of induction. ... But as Hume points out it is conceivable that nature will change in some way, therefore in Hume's philosophy it is poss...
Through the reading of Plato's Republic and Hume's An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals the reader can see many conflicts in ideas such as the idea between Thrasymachus and Hume on Justice. ... (Plato 14) Hume on the other hand believes that justice is significant for its usefulness. ... (Hume 21) Hume would not agree with Thrasymachus" idea of justice because it does not always prove useful. ... (Hume 21-22) The variations in laws from society to society are also a difference of opinion between Thrasymachus and Hume. ... While Hume's ideas are all based on how...
Though it seems stereotypically immoral, philosopher David Hume defended the act, labeling suicide as sometimes permissible. ... Hume's arguments consist on debating the three consequences that could possibly occur in the events of a suicide. Hume states that suicide is not always a transgression of our duty to god, our duty to our neighbours, and our duty to ourselves (Hume: 4). ... The intricate part of Hume's argument, is that he is not forthrightly stating that suicide is always permissible, it is the certain circumstances that can justify suicide that Hume is preaching. ... Hum...
