18th Century Britain: Hume’s Era
Historical Framework
Hume was born in 1711 in Edinburgh, Scotland, during the ancien régime. European states were absolute monarchies, with power held by monarchs and nobility, while the bourgeoisie rose. The Church maintained influence, though it slowly diminished.
After the 1688 revolution, England moved towards constitutionalism, becoming a model for enlightened countries. Parliament, mainly nobles, acknowledged popular sovereignty. Legislation on rights and freedoms was developed, more so than in the rest of Europe. Unlike the continent’s executive power focus, Britain emphasized the legislature.
During Hume’s birth, Queen Anne I reigned, consolidating parliamentary bipartisanship (Tories and Whigs). The Treaty of Utrecht, signed at the end of her reign, granted Britain Spanish territories, including Gibraltar.
Sociocultural Context
Britain saw significant social differences, but the bourgeoisie’s rise was faster than in continental Europe, fostering capitalism and the Industrial Revolution. Agrarian relations were no longer feudal, with nobles leasing land. Britain’s economy held a decisive role in the world market.
Political tolerance, economic development, social stability, and cultural advances were notable. Scientific development was significant, with figures like Newton. Other scientists included Volta, Lamarck, Fahrenheit, and Coulomb. Scientific research spurred technical implementation, aiding industry and commerce (e.g., steam engine).
In art, rococo and neoclassical styles clashed. Rococo, linked to monarchy, was refined and sensual. Neoclassical, tied to the bourgeoisie, was rational and moralistic. The bourgeoisie’s rise led to neoclassicism’s triumph.
Philosophical Framework
Empiricism
Empiricism, like rationalism, aimed for a philosophy based on reason. Newton influenced Locke and Hume, who sought a science of human nature using the experimental method. Direct observation and empirical testing were central, opposing dogmatism and metaphysics.
Hume lived during the Encyclopedic movement (Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau). Philosophers emphasized reason, critiquing religion and promoting deism. Deism acknowledged a creator but rejected personal God and revelation, favoring natural religion based on reason.
Liberalism
Liberalism was prevalent in British society, emphasizing separation of powers, tolerance, freedom, and private property. The state’s role was to provide peace and security. Citizens respected authority for utility, reflecting pragmatic politics.
New areas of philosophical thought developed. The 18th century saw salons, scientific societies, journals, and book collections. Philosophy moved beyond religious institutions, becoming a factor in modernization and intellectual development (epistemological, ethical, political, aesthetic).