Philosopher · 1711 – 1776
David Hume
Little-Known Facts
- Hume's masterpiece, A Treatise of Human Nature, was largely ignored on publication, which he said 'fell dead-born from the press'.
- He was passed over for university chairs at Edinburgh and Glasgow because of his reputation for religious skepticism.
Myths & Misconceptions
Did Hume deny that causes exist?
No. Hume argued that we cannot rationally demonstrate necessary connections between causes and effects, and that belief in causation rests on habit and experience.