1739Reputable sourceWell documented
David Hume and the Scottish Enlightenment
On the timeline · around 1739 ·
What happened
The Scottish philosopher David Hume pushed empiricism to its rigorous limits in A Treatise of Human Nature (1739). He argued that all knowledge comes from experience, questioned whether cause and effect can ever be proven rather than merely observed, and applied the same skeptical scrutiny to religion and miracles. He was a leading light of the Scottish Enlightenment, the remarkable flowering of thought centered on Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Why it matters
Hume's skepticism reshaped philosophy — he famously woke Immanuel Kant from his 'dogmatic slumber' — and the Scottish Enlightenment he embodied, alongside his friend Adam Smith, made Scotland a powerhouse of modern ideas in philosophy, economics, and science.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. David Hume · Reputable source