David Hume

David Hume (1711–1776) was a Scottish philosopher, historian, and economist and one of the leading figures of the Scottish Enlightenment. An empiricist and skeptical critic of metaphysical claims, he exerted a lasting influence on modern epistemology. During a stay in France, he wrote his first major work, *A Treatise of Human Nature*. His other principal works include *An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding*, *An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals*, and a comprehensive *History of Great Britain*. Hume worked at various times as a private tutor, secretary, and librarian; he never held a university professorship.