David Hume

Synopsis

Born 300 years ago in 1711, David Hume thought the progress of civilisation depended on ordinary people learning how to think and form opinions about the events of the day. But Hume's thought was also a bombshell. In an age of universal religious belief, he was considered to be an atheist.

His philosophy raised such strong arguments that it is still widely taught and admired today, however perhaps his most modern realisation was that logic could only take your so far, and then you had to understand people - this quest to reach the public turned him into that most modern of characters - a celebrity historian.