David Hume

May 7, 1711 – August 25, 1776

David Hume was a historian, philosopher, and economist from Edinburgh, Scotland. Hume was born on May 7, 1711, in Edinburgh, and was well educated as he attended the University of Edinburgh at about the age of 12, but began studying philosophy as he did not respect the professors (Mastin). When he was eighteen years old, he made an unknown philosophical discovery which prompted him to dedicate the following 10 years to a concentrated period of study (Mastin). Following the publication of his “Essays Moral and Political,” he was denied a post at the University of Edinburgh as the local ministers believed that he was not suitable for the position due to his “atheism” (Mastin). While tutoring Marquise of Annandale, he connected with other Scottish Enlightenment leaders at the Canongate Theatre (Mastin). The Faculty of Advocates offered Hume a positon as a librarian in 1752, and through this, he was provided access to a library where he could continue to conduct his research for “The History of Great Britain” (Mastin). This piece of writing gained Hume literary fame and was the basis for English history (Mastin). During his time of being a secretary for Lord Hertford in Paris, Voltaire appreciated Hume’s views and was friends with Rousseau for a brief period of time (Mastin). On August 25, 1776 , David Hume died in Edinburgh and was buried on Carlton Hill (Mastin).

 

David Hume ’s philosophical discoveries focused on the science of human nature (Jessop). He used Sir Isaac Newton’s model as well as the epistemology of John Locke in order to gain an understanding of how humans acquire knowledge (Jessop). Through his research he believed that one does not have knowledge about something unless they have experienced it (Jessop). Hume was recognized for empiricism and skepticism, being an atheist, and rejecting rationalism (Mastin). As Isaac Newton completed his theories of understanding the universe, theories about the universe involving God decreased in popularity and atheism was on the rise, thus, influencing Hume in his atheistic views (LeDrew). In one of his most influential papers, titled “A Treatise of Human Nature”, Hume discussed the idea that human knowledge can be categorized as either the relation of ideas – logical thoughts, and matters of fact – thoughts deriving from observations, and that ideas come from the impressions one makes (Mastin). He was attempting to lower the importance placed on reason as it had in the modern rationalistic thinking (Mossner). His conclusions that natural instinct, not reason, is why one is able to make inferences has played a n important role in Epistemology and the theory of knowledge (Mastin). Hume also had theories on ethics, he believed that reason played a role in one’s actions and that desires are imperative to create motivations which in and, result in reasons for actions (Mastin). Through his ethical theories, he influenced other ethical theories including emotivism, quasi-realism, and ethical expressivism (Mastin).

 

In terms of politics, Hume believed that society should be led by a system based off of a contract (Mastin). Not only this but he did not believe that private property was a natural right as he saw that resources are scarce and it would be unrealistic for everyone to have equal amounts of property (Mastin). The 1707 Act of Union resulted in monarchies governing the political system and they attempted to create English institutions in Scotland (Ferguson). He was aware of the difference in treatment of Scots and it motivated him to create a new “polite” progressive society where there would be free trade in goods and ideas (Smith).

 

Not only did Hume make significant contributions in philosophy and history but he also did in economics. The views he presented through the “ Treatise ” and Political Disclosures greatly impacted Adam Smith, a pioneer in political economy (David 2) . In addition, he created the automatic price-specie flow as well as the theory of beneficial inflation (David 1). T he ideas he introduced had a large effect on the economy in 18th century (David 2). The essays that he wrote influenced many other major players such as Immanuel Kant who read Hume’s writings and came up with the “idealist system” that governed the 19th-century ideas (David 2). The ideas in his early work on human nature and knowledge contributed greatly in cognitive science (David 3). Through his research on habit, Hume influenced John Dewey, a major contributor to social psychology (Gay).

Consequently, David Hume is believed to be one of the most important British Philosophers as he influenced many other major players during the enlightenment period as well as figures in fields like psychology, economics, history, and politics. And even to this day, his contributions are appreciated and applied to new upcoming theories.

Nicole Martin

Works Cited

“David Hume.” David Hume – New World Encyclopedia , 24 Mar. 2014,

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/David_Hume

.

“David Hume .” Philosophers.co.uk , 2012, http://www.philosophers.co.uk/david – hume.html.

“David Hume.” The University of Edinburgh , 14 June 2017,

http://www.ed.ac.uk/ppls/philosophy/about/history/david – hume

.

Ferguson, William. “Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies.” Albion:

A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies , vol. 33, no. 1, 2001, pp. 177 – 178. JSTOR , JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/4053114

.

Gay, Peter. “The Enlightenment in the History of Political Theory.” Political Science Quarterly ,

vol. 69, no. 3, 1954, pp. 374 – 389. JSTOR , JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2145276.

Jessop, Thomas Edmund, and Maurice Cranston. “Dav id Hume.” Encyclopædia Britannica ,

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 16 June 2017,

http://www.britannica.com/biography/David –

Hume.

LeDrew, Stephen. “History of the Human Sciences.” The Evolution of Atheism: Scientific and Humanistic Approaches , vol. 25, no. 3, 2012, pp. 73 – 74., doi:https://dx – doi – org.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/10.1177/0952695112441301.

Mastin, Luke. “David Hume .” The Basics of Philosophy ,

http://www.philosophybasics.com/philosophers_hume.html

.

Mossner, Ernest Campbell. “THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF DAVID HUME.” Rivista Critica Di

Storia Della Filosofia , vol. 22, no. 4, 1967, pp. 388 – 392. JSTOR , JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/44022187

.

Smith, Craig. “The Scottish Enlightenment and Scottish Independence.” Economic Affairs

(Institute of Economic Affairs) , vol. 33, no. 3, Oct. 2013, pp. 334 – 338. EBSCO host , d oi:onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291468 – 0270/issues.

Other Relevant Reading

Hume, David. An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding . 1748.

Hume, David. An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals . 1751.

Hume, David. Essays, Moral and Political . 1758.

Hume, David. The History of England . 1762.

Hume, David. A Treatise of Human Nature . 1738.

Mishra, Pankaj. Age of Anger: a History of the Present . Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017.

Photo

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Allan_Ramsay_ – _David_Hume%2C_1711_ – _1776._Historian_and_philosopher_ – _Google_Art_Project.jpg/220px – Allan_Ramsay_ – _David_Hume%2C_1711_ – _1776._Historian_and_philosopher_ – _Google_Art_Project.jp g

Absurdism

Absurdism

Absurdism is a school of thought in philosophy and literature, prominent in the twentieth century.  The contemporary understanding of Absurdism has its roots with Kierkegaard in the nineteenth century, as well as with the Dada movement in the 1920’s, which began in Switzerland as a reaction to the horrors of The Great War.  French novelist Albert Camus has spilled the most ink on the subject.  Broadly, Absurdism is the view that people seek meaning in their life, while the universe seems unlikely to provide it.  The disharmony between these two features is the source of absurdity. Absurdism is seen as an emotional state as well as an intellectual position.  (Camus)  Conrad saw it as “the frightful gulf that separates man from his surroundings, man from man, the disparity between the human ideal and its surroundings.” (Gillon 3)

Absurdism plays and important role in the progress of human thought, and can be linked to other important intellectual movements.  Existence has been puzzling people as far back as Dante and the Stoics, (Wegener 150) and there have been countless events that call into question the harmonious relationship between humans and the universe.  These events range from the world wars, to the loss of a family dog.  Over time, as the idea of God lost currency as a source of meaning for people’s lives, Absurdism gains currency as an explanation for the human condition.  Since Nietzsche’s famous declaration of God’s death at the end of the nineteenth century, the modern world has struggled to maintain its clear vision of progress and unity.  Modernity claims to move humankind forward with a unified purpose, but Absurdism points out that there might not be any inherent meaning to existence.  This seems to be the starting point for the postmodern movement that has accompanied us to the twenty-first century.  The history of Absurdism can be seen in the social and political issues of today.  Absurdism makes it difficult to form a consensus on the state of affairs around us, and the news media is facing challenges in this regard.  There is a large flow of mis- and disinformation by virtue of Absurdism’s claim that truth might be relative.  This skepticism has also influenced a contemporary body of art that disavows meaning, instead opting to disavow meaning and live in the unknown.  Examples include the viral video “going to the store” and the comedic work of Reggie Watts.

There are many important figures that participated in Absurdism, including Soren Kierkegaard, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Franz Kafka, Joseph Conrad, and Albert Camus.  Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher who lived from 1813 to 1855. His response to the absurd was to take a leap of faith and place meaning in God. (Camus 40) Dostoyevsky was a Russian novelist who lived from 1821 to 1881.  He saw the world as fundamentally irrational, and his works live in this absurd space.  Kafka lived in Czechoslovakia and Austria from 1883 to 1924.  His characters are described as responding to absurdity with ridiculousness, like someone who laughs at policemen while hitting them. (Gillon 3)  Joseph Conrad, 1857 to 1924, is famous for his book Heart of Darkness, which contrasts the absurdity of England to that of the Congo.  His hero’s journey up the Congo river is an allegory for a personal journey into the absurdity of existence.  The film Apocalypse Now, which explores the absurdity of the Viet Nam War, is loosely based on Conrad’s book.  Camus’ work The Myth of Sisyphus is the most commonly cited work in Absurdism.  Aside from an argument against suicide, it is a project to explain the best response to absurdity.  The central image is of Sisyphus being condemned to push a boulder up a mountain for eternity, but that he is happy to do so.

Stephen Good

 

Bibliography

Gillon, Adam. The Absurd and ‘Les Valeurs Ideales’ in Condrad, Kafka and Camus.” The Polish Review, vol. 6, no. 3, 1961, pp. 3–10. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25776355

Wegener, Adolph H. “The Absurd in Modern Literature.” Books Abroad, vol. 41, no. 2, 1967, pp. 150–156. JSTOR, JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40121546.

Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays. Vintage Books, 1955.