Beginning with his A Treatise of Human Nature （1739）， Hume strove to create a total naturalistic “science of man” that examined the psychological basis of human nature。 In stark opposition to the rationalists who preceded him， most notably Descartes， he concluded that desire rather than reason governed human behavior， saying famously： “Reason is， and ought only to be the slave of the passions。” A prominent figure in the skeptical philosophical tradition and a strong empiricist， he argued against the existence of innate ideas， concluding instead that humans have knowledge only of things they directly experience。 Thus he divides perceptions between strong and lively “impressions” or direct sensations and fainter “ideas，” which are copied from impressions。 He developed the position that mental behavior is governed by “custom”； our use of induction， for example， is justified only by our idea of the “constant conjunction” of causes and effects。 Without direct impressions of a metaphysical “self，” he concluded that humans have no actual conception of the self， only of a bundle of sensations associated with the self。 Hume advocated a compatibilist theory of free will that proved extremely influential on subsequent moral philosophy。 He was also a sentimentalist who held that ethics are based on feelings rather than abstract moral principles。 Hume also examined the normative is–ought problem。 He held notoriously ambiguous views of Christianity， but famously challenged the argument from design in his Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion （1779）。
Kant credited Hume with waking him up from his “dogmatic slumbers” and Hume has proved extremely influential on subsequent philosophy， especially on utilitarianism， logical positivism， William James， philosophy of science， early analytic philosophy， cognitive philosophy， and other movements and thinkers。 The philosopher Jerry Fodor proclaimed Hume’s Treatise “the founding document of cognitive science”。 Also famous as a prose stylist， Hume pioneered the essay as a literary genre and engaged with contemporary intellectual luminaries such as Jean－Jacques Rousseau， Adam Smith （who acknowledged Hume’s influence on his economics and political philosophy）， James Boswell， Joseph Butler， and Thomas Reid。
大卫·休谟，苏格兰哲学家，出生在苏格兰的一个贵族家庭，曾经学过法律，并从事过商业活动。1734年，休谟第一次到法国，在法国他开始研究哲学，并从事著述活动。1763年，休谟又去法国，担任英国驻法国使馆的秘书，代理过公使。1752年至1761年，休谟曾进行过英国史的编撰工作。休谟的主要著作有：《人性论》（1739——1740）、《人类理解研究》（1748）、《道德原则研究》（1752）和《宗教的自然史》（1757）等。与约翰·洛克（John Locke）及乔治·贝克莱（George Berkeley）并称三大英国经验主义者。
他最先是以历史学家的身份成名。他所著的《英格兰史》一书在当时成为英格兰历史学界的基础著作长达60至70年。历史学家们一般将休谟的哲学归类为彻底的怀疑主义，但一些人主张自然主义也是休谟的中心思想之一。研究休谟的学者经常分为那些强调怀疑成分的以及那些强调自然主义成分的人。他首倡近代不可知论，对感觉之外的任何存在持怀疑态度，对外部世界的客观规律性和因果必然性持否定态度。他认为，感性知觉是认识的唯一对象，知觉分印象和观念两类，但认为人们不可能超出知觉去解决知觉的来源问题。否认因果联系的客观性，认为因果联系只是由于印象出现先后而形成的一种观念。在伦理观上，主张功利主义，认为快乐和利益是一致的。他还用其经验论、怀疑论和功利主义伦理学论述了有关上帝观念和宗教问题。
Key words ＆ Sentences
关键词句全知道
I believe David Hume and Bertrand Russell。
我相信大卫·休谟和伯特兰·罗素。
The issue of the rationality of inductive inference was raised by David Hume at first。
归纳合理性问题最初是由休谟提出的。
John Locke， George Berkeley， and David Hume are classical representatives of empiricism。
洛克、柏克莱、休谟是经验主义的典型代表人物。
The empiricist David Hume had argued that there were serious logical problems with induction。
经验主义者大卫·休谟认为归纳法有很严重的逻辑问题。
An answer may lie in work by David Hume。
答案可能就存在于大卫·休谟的作品中。
His great sparring partner was his friend and fellow Scot David Hume， who taught Smith many of his best punches。
斯密最重要的搭档是他的挚友，苏格兰哲学家大卫·休谟，他把自己的许多秘籍传授给了斯密。
Euclid and Shelley， Edmund Spenser and Herbert Spencer， King David and David Hume， are all followers of the art of letters。
事实上，不论欧几里得与雪莱，艾德蒙·斯宾塞与赫伯特·斯宾塞，大卫王与大卫·休谟，他们都是语言文字这门艺术的追逐者。
David Hume， the great Scottish philosopher， argued， the monetary mechanism is one way of achieving this outcome。
伟大的苏格兰哲学家大卫·休谟曾指出，货币机制是实现这种结果的一种方式。
The roots of conservatism go back to philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries， such as John Locke， David Hume and Adam Smith。
保守主义的根源，可以回溯到17世纪和18世纪的哲学家那里，像洛克、休谟和斯密。
Centuries ago philosophers such as David Hume and Jean－Jacques Rousseau emphasized the crucial role of human nature in social interactions。
几百年前，大卫·休谟和卢梭等哲学家就已强调人性在社会互动中扮演的重要角色。
In the history of aesthetics， David Hume was the first person explicitly stated the idea of “taste”。
在美学史上，休谟是第一个从理论上明确提出“趣味”问题的。
The first and oldest， the quantity theory， promoted in the 18th century David Hume， assumes that prices will rise as the supply of money increases。
货币数量学说是第一种也是最古老的一种，18世纪大卫·休谟提出物价提高，货币供应亦跟着提高。
David Hume suggested that “the amusements， which are the most durable， have all a mixture of application and attention in them； such as gaming and hunting。”
大卫·休谟暗示：“那些最为持久的娱乐活动，比如游戏和打猎，其中包含了努力和专注的结合。”
David Hume is a representative figure of the Enlightenment in Scotland。
大卫·休谟是苏格兰启蒙运动的代表人物。
David Hume has a great influence in western society。
大卫·休谟对西方社会产生了巨大的、深远的历史影响。
David Hume pointed it out two and a half centuries ago。
大卫·休谟两个半世纪前就指出了这一点。
If forced to choose between two vices， luxury and sloth David Hume would have preferred luxury， because to banish it without curing sloth would only diminish industry。
如果被迫在奢侈和懒惰两害中取其一，大卫·休谟会选择奢侈，因为禁止奢侈而不消除懒惰，只会减少勤奋。
It answered the skepticism of David Hume。
它回答了大卫·休谟的怀疑主义。
Let’s Talk！
开始交流吧！
Mike： I am confused with all these philosophies。
麦克：我被这些哲学弄得很糊涂。
Daisy： Who’s philosophy·
黛西：谁的哲学·
Mike： Lots of thinkers， they all have different beliefs。
麦克：很多思想家的，他们的信仰都不一样。
Daisy： Then who do you believe·
黛西：那你相信谁的·
Mike： I tend to believe more of empiricism。
麦克：我偏向于相信经验主义。
Daisy： Who is the representative of empiricism·
黛西：谁是经验主义的代表·
Mike： I remember David Hume is。
麦克：我记得大卫·休谟是。
Daisy： I’ve heard of his name。
黛西：我听过他的名字。
Mike： I like his theory； I think he is very realistic。 And I’m a realistic person。
麦克：我很喜欢他的理论，我觉得他很实际。我也是个实际的人。
Daisy： Could you tell me a little bit about his philosophy·
黛西：你能跟我说说他的哲学观吗·
Mike： I can’t remember clearly， how about I tell you after the next class。
麦克：我记不清了，要不我下节课之后告诉你。
Daisy： Great！
黛西：好的。
Voltaire
伏尔泰