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David Hume was a Scottish historian, philosopher, economist, diplomat and essayist known today especially for his radical philosophical empiricism and scepticism. In light of Hume's central role in the Scottish Enlightenment, and in the history of Western philosophy, Bryan Magee judged him as a philosopher "widely regarded as the greatest who has ever written in the English language." While Hume failed in his attempts to start a university career, he took part in various diplomatic and military missions of the time. He wrote The History of England which became a bestseller, and it became the standard history of England in its day. His empirical approach places him with John Locke, George Berkeley, and a handful of others at the time as a British Empiricist. Beginning with his A Treatise of Human Nature (1739), Hume strove to create a total naturalistic "science of man" that examined the psychological basis of human nature. In opposition to the rationalists who preceded him, most notably René Descartes, he concluded that desire rather than reason governed human behaviour. He also argued against the existence of innate ideas, concluding that humans have knowledge only of things they directly experience. He argued that inductive reasoning and therefore causality cannot be justified rationally. Our assumptions in favour of these result from custom and constant conjunction rather than logic. He concluded that humans have no actual conception of the self, only of a bundle of sensations associated with the self. Hume's compatibilist theory of free will proved extremely influential on subsequent moral philosophy. He was also a sentimentalist who held that ethics are based on feelings rather than abstract moral principles, and expounded the is–ought problem. Hume has proved extremely influential on subsequent western philosophy, especially on utilitarianism, logical positivism, William James, the philosophy of science, early analytic philosophy, cognitive philosophy, theology and other movements and thinkers. In addition, according to philosopher Jerry Fodor, Hume's Treatise is "the founding document of cognitive science". Hume engaged with contemporary intellectual luminaries such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, James Boswell, and Adam Smith (who acknowledged Hume's influence on his economics and political philosophy). Immanuel Kant credited Hume with awakening him from "dogmatic slumbers".
An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding and Treatise of Human Nature
2026
From Charles II to James II
2026
How Australian Referendums Are Lost and Won
2024
David Hume (An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding David Hume Philosophy & Ethics Humanities) [Annotated]
2021
2020
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, A Treatise of Human Nature, The History of England, The Natural History of Religion, Essays, Personal Correspondence
2019
2018
Containing the Reigns of James I. And Charles I
2018
Von Henrich dem Zweyten An, bis auf Johann
2018
2018
From the revolution in 1688 to the death of George the Second in 1760 : A.D. 1732 to A.D. 1755
2018
2018
2018
From the Invasion of Julius Cæsar to the Revolution in 1688
2018
2018
Von Henrich dem Zweyten An, bis auf Johann (Classic Reprint)
2018
2017
2017
Von dem Einfall des Julius Cäsar an bis auf die Thronbesteigung Heinrichs des VII. Erster Band
2017
Von dem Einfalle des Julius Cäsar an bis auf die Thronbesteigung Heinrichs des VII.
2016
2016
2015
From The Invasion Of Julius Caesar To The Revolution Of 1688 : To Which Is Prefixed A Short Account Of His Life, Written By Himself, Volumes 1-2
2015
2015
Abridged ... and Continued Down to the Year 1858
2015
Vol. 4 in 6 Volumes of 1860 Edition
2015
From the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Accession of Henry VII
2015
21 Works
2014
2014
2013
2013
From The Invasion Iof Julius Cæsar To The Revolution In 1688
2013
2013
2012
2012
2012
2012
From The Invasion Of Julius Caesar To The Revolution Of 1688 : To Which Is Prefixed A Short Account Of His Life, Written By Himself, Volumes 1-2
2012
2012
2012
2012
2011
Continued To 1878
2011
Von dem Einfalle des Julius Cäsar An, bis auf die Regierung Wilhelm des Eroberers (Classic Reprint)
2011
2011
Containing The Reigns Of James I. And Charles I
2011
2011
2011
2011
by D. Hume With a continuation to the death of George the ... of his present Majesty, by J. Burke. Vol. III
2011
