什么是休姆

Hume, David

苏格兰哲学家、历史学家和经济学家。首部着作是重要的《人性论》（1739～1740），是他想表述一个全面的哲学体系的一次尝试，可惜最初反应冷淡。《道德和政治论集》（1741～1742）则受到欢迎，对友人亚当斯密的经济思想具有强烈影响。《政论集》（1752）出版後，接着又出版了五卷本巨着《英格兰历史》（1754～1762）。他把哲学设想为对人性的归纳、实验科学，以牛顿的科学方法为模型，而以洛克的经验主义为蓝本，尝试描述求知的心理状态。他归结出：形上学是不可能的，经验以外没有其他知识。并归结出：人是感情的动物，而非理性的动物。进而质疑物质概念及原因必然性的客观根据，也质疑归纳法的客观根据。他的影响广泛，康德认为自己的批判哲学直接源於休姆，而休姆在带领孔德转向实证主义方面也扮演了重要的角色。在英国，休姆的正面影响见於边沁，他因休姆的《人性论》而转往功利主义，而休姆对弥尔的影响力更大。

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.