David Hume
From SkepticWiki
David Hume (1711 - 1776) was born to a moderately wealthy family from Berwickshire, Scotland, near Edinburgh. Hume is regarded as one of the greatest philosophers in Western history, as well as an accomplished historian, economist and perennial skeptic. Hume was one of the most prominent figures of the Scottish Enlightenment and a close friend of Adam Smith. Hume's contributions to economics are found mostly in his Political Discourses (1752), which were later incorporated into his Essays (1758).
Hume began writing a manuscript in his late teens in which he developed his philosophic ideas. Although this manuscript was destroyed by Hume, several pages of study notes survive. These show a preoccupation with proof of God's existence and atheism.
During his life, Hume was involved in various public controversies. He could not secure teaching appointments at both Edinburgh and Glasgow largely because of his reputation as an infidel. His essay "Of Miracles" (1748) caused critical reactions from different denominations of the clergy. The first published volume of his History (1754) also caused consternation because it insinuated that Christianity was motivated by superstition and fanaticism.
One of the most public of the early controversies involved the efforts of some conservative clergy in the Scottish Church to censure or even excommunicate Hume and his colleague Henry Home, Lord Kames, for their infidel writings. One of the instigators of this effort was retired clergyman George Anderson (1677–1756) . Pamphlets were published on the subject, for and against, and in 1756 the case against Hume was heard by a committee of the General Assembly – the Scottish Church’s highest judicial body. The conservatives argued that Hume posed a genuine threat to religion, and it was the Church’s duty to take action against him. The more moderate committee members argued that Hume’s views were self-refuting. It was also noted that as Hume was a non-believer, censuring him would have no impact whatsoever. In a vote of 17 to 50, the decision was made to not pursue the matter further.
