David Hume

David Hume (1711–1776) was a Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, historian, and essayist. Born in Edinburgh, he became one of the most influential empiricists in modern philosophy, arguing that human knowledge arises from experience and that causal reasoning rests on habit rather than logical necessity. His major philosophical works include *A Treatise of Human Nature* (1739–40) and *An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding* (1748), which developed his skeptical analysis of induction, miracles, and the self. Hume also wrote the multi-volume *History of England* and served in diplomatic and government roles, including as secretary to the British embassy in Paris.