David Hume

The enlightened philosopher.

David Hume is now known as a philosopher of the Enlightenment, but in his lifetime he was better known as an historian and theorist of economics and politics. He cared about his literary reputation and enjoyed great respect internationally as a ‘man of letters'.

He was not born wealthy, though he came from a family of good standing. Born in Edinburgh on 26 April 1711, son of Joseph Hume, laird of Ninewells, a small estate near Chirnside, Berwickshire.

Hume was about 12 years old when he entered Edinburgh University, and his family assumed he would become a lawyer.

But Hume had a passion for philosophy and learning for learning's sake.

He was driven by his thirst for intellectual advancement, to the extent that he worked himself too hard and had a nervous breakdown in 1729.

After such a knock to his health, Hume set out to live a more active life, but even this was only done to better facilitate his learning. He was as singleminded as ever.

Without a fortune, Hume still had to work for a living. Having spurned a career in law, he tried his hand at business, working for a merchant in Bristol. For whatever reason, this only lasted a few months and Hume was off again, this time to France. He resolved to live frugally, determined to remain independent so that he could improve his talents in literature.

During his three years in France, Hume wrote his first major work, A Treatise of Human Nature. He was only 26 at the time, and the Treatise was not well received. His next ...

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• By : Rob Allanson
• In : Famous Scots
• Issue : 51
• Page : 41
• Words : 700