Abstract

David Hume is generally regarded as the leading representative of scepticism or a narrow form of empiricism in philosophy. This dissertation demonstrates that Hume actually presents a constructive philosophical position, which might be described as a "social theory of knowledge," or a philosophical account of the relation between history and rationality in human thought. This provides the basis for a unified interpretation not only of his theoretical philosophy but also of his thought as a whole, including his moral and political theory and his writings in economics, aesthetics and history. ;The social and historical dimension of Hume's philosophy emerges especially in his account of abstract ideas and language; his discussion of probable reasoning; his reflections concerning custom; his approach to the ideas of space, time, external existence and personal identity; his discussion of the passions; his account of sympathy; his emphasis on the relation between motive, character and circumstances in the interpretation of human action; his reflection concerning the methodological foundations of the various social sciences; his discussion of conventions; his account of the standards involved in morals, aesthetics and political life; his emphasis on the study of history; and his own approach to the writing of history. Hume suggests that the standards of rationality involved in these areas of life and thought are abstractions from experience, including not only individual but also social and historical experience. ;This study draws together a number of recent developments in Hume scholarship and seeks to present a comprehensive statement of their significance for the reassessment of his thought. It represents a response not only to the prevailing general approaches to the interpretation of his thought, but also to many of the prevailing criticisms of the individual arguments in his philosophical and other writings. ;In conclusion, this study suggests that by presenting an alternative to the conception of autonomous reason associated with the Enlightenment, Hume anticipates a number of developments in contemporary thought, such as the later philosophy of Wittgenstein, Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics, and some aspects of Rorty's critique of foundationalism, along with several lines of development in contemporary religious thought