David Hume
/ˌdeɪvɪd ˈhjuːm/
/ˌdeɪvɪd ˈhjuːm/
- (1711-76) a Scottish philosopher and historian who is regarded as one of the greatest British thinkers. He said that people cannot be certain about anything that is not directly taken in through their senses. Hume was greatly respected during his life, but was unable to get a university teaching job because he was an agnostic (= he could not say that he believed in God). His most important works include A Treatise of Human Nature (1739-40) and History of England (1754-62).
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David Hume