David Hume: Skeptic, Empiricist, Genius

Take a whirlwind tour with me as I introduce you to the mind-bending yet eminently rational philosophy of the Scottish thinker David Hume. In his extensive philosophical and political writings, Hume left no nook unexplored. In his master work The Treatise Of Human Nature, Hume utilized a blend of common-sense, abstract reasoning, and profound skepticism to understand human existence. He dismissed those metaphysicians who claimed knowledge about nature, the soul, and God by reasoning in the abstract. He attempted to construct a rigorously empiricist philosophy which put direct human experience as the supreme arbiter of knowledge. And his stubborn skepticism led him to some very strange conclusions. Join us as we think about and critically judge Hume’s ideas and arguments.

We’ll look at Hume’s answers to the following:

• What really is time and space?
• What do we know with certainty?
• What is cause and effect?
• What is the nature of the self?
• Is there God or an afterlife?

and last but not least:

• Do you really know the sun is gonna rise tomorrow?

Hope to see you there!