什麼是休姆

Hume, David

蘇格蘭哲學家、歷史學家和經濟學家。首部著作是重要的《人性論》（1739～1740），是他想表述一個全面的哲學體系的一次嘗試，可惜最初反應冷淡。《道德和政治論集》（1741～1742）則受到歡迎，對友人亞當斯密的經濟思想具有強烈影響。《政論集》（1752）出版後，接著又出版了五卷本巨著《英格蘭歷史》（1754～1762）。他把哲學設想為對人性的歸納、實驗科學，以牛頓的科學方法為模型，而以洛克的經驗主義為藍本，嘗試描述求知的心理狀態。他歸結出：形上學是不可能的，經驗以外沒有其他知識。並歸結出：人是感情的動物，而非理性的動物。進而質疑物質概念及原因必然性的客觀根據，也質疑歸納法的客觀根據。他的影響廣泛，康德認為自己的批判哲學直接源於休姆，而休姆在帶領孔德轉向實證主義方面也扮演了重要的角色。在英國，休姆的正面影響見於邊沁，他因休姆的《人性論》而轉往功利主義，而休姆對彌爾的影響力更大。

1711～1776年

Hume, David

Scottish philosopher, historian, and economist. His first book, the important Treatise of Human Nature (1739-40), was his attempt to formulate a full-fledged philosophical system; its initial reception was disappointing. His Essays Moral and Political (1741-42), was well received, and strongly influenced the economic thinking of his friend Adam Smith. His Political Discourses (1752) was followed by his huge History of England (5 vols., 1754-62). He conceived of philosophy as the inductive, experimental science of human nature. Taking Isaac Newton's scientific method as his model and building on John Locke's empiricism, he tried to describe how the mind works in acquiring knowledge. He concluded that no metaphysics is possible, that there can be no knowledge of anything beyond experience. He concluded that humans are more creatures of sentiment than of reason. He was led to question the objective validity of the concepts of substance and causal necessity and of the method of induction. His influence was widely felt. Immanuel Kant conceived his critical philosophy in direct reaction to Hume, and Hume was important in leading Auguste Comte to positivism. In Britain, Hume's positive influence is seen in Jeremy Bentham, who was moved to utilitarianism by Hume's Treatise, and more extensively in John Stuart Mill.