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Hume's Empiricism
- David Hume, during the Scottish Enlightenment, aimed to rebuild philosophy by embracing empirical science.
- He believed philosophy should be in constant dialogue with science, influencing fields like epistemology and causality.
Hume's Skepticism and Societal Change
- Hume's skepticism challenged assumptions in philosophy, similar to the broader societal changes of his time.
- He aimed to prevent the squandering of genius on unfounded beliefs, like Newton's focus on alchemy.
Hume and New Atheism
- Hume's skepticism and emphasis on evidence-based belief likely wouldn't align with the New Atheist movement's approach.
- He'd prefer a positive skepticism, focused on proportioning belief to evidence, akin to the modern skeptic movement.