David Hume ( 26 April 1711 - 25 August 1776)

By Chad Gilbert

  • David Hume Born

    David Hume Born in Edinburgh into a family of "Scottish border gentry." Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018

  • Father's death

    Father dies suddenly two years after Hume's birth

  • Edinburgh University

    Sent to Edinburgh University at age 12. This was considered young, the normal age would have been 14. Phillipson, Nicholas. David Hume: The Philosopher as Historian. Yale University Press, 2008. Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018
  • Period: to

    Drafted, A Treatise of Human Nature

    Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.
  • Period: to

    La Fleche

    Hume moved to France to a small village in Anjou. Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018. Gopnik, Alison. "Could David Hume Have Known about Buddhism?: Charles François Dolu, the Royal College of La Flèche, and the Global Jesuit Intellectual Network." Hume Studies, vol. 35, 2009, pp. 5-28. Project MUSE, muse.jhu.edu/article/403830.

  • Return to England

    Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.

  • A Treatise of Human Nature, Book 1 and 2

    Upon returning England in 1737 Hume edited his, A Treatise of Human Nature for Bishop Butler. The original work was separated into three books. The first, Of the Understanding, as well as the second Of the Passions were published anonymously. Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.

  • A Treatise of Human Nature, Book 3

    The third book from A Treatise of Human Nature entitled Of Morals was published along with the Abstract of the first two books. All published anonymously

  • Essays, Moral and Political

    Volume 1 published Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.

  • Essays, Moral and Political

    Volume 2 published Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.

  • Chair of Ethics and Pneumatical Philosophy

    Denied vacant position in Edinburgh due to his reputation. Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.

  • Diplomatic mission with cousin

    Extended diplomatic mission to Vienna and Turin with cousin Lieutenant-General James St. Clair. Published Philosophical Essays concerning Human Understanding eventually becoming part of Essays and Treatises. These works are known today as, An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding. Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.

  • Chair of Logic

    Denied position at Glasgow. Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.

  • An Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals

    The second book to An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding. Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.

  • Political Discourses

    Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.
  • Period: to

    History of England

    Published 6 volumes of a History of England. 1754, 1756, 1759, and 1762 while Librarian to the Edinburgh Faculty of advocates. History became a best-seller. Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.

  • Four Dissertations

    Published his Four Dissertations which include the essays, Of Suicide, Of the Immortality of the Soul, Of Tragedy, and Of the Standard of Taste. Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.
  • Period: to

    Paris

    Invited to serve as Private Secretary to Lord Hertford, the Ambassador to France. While in France Hume became Secretary to the Embassy and Charge d' Affaires. Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.

  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau

    Hume returned to England with Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Their friendship ended in an international conspiracy. Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.
  • Period: to

    Final years in Edinburgh

    Hume built a home Edinburgh's New Town in 1769 where he lived until his death from intestinal cancer. Hume spent his final years revising his past work of Essays and Treatises which included Enquiries, A Dessertation on the Passions, and The Natural History of Religion

  • David Hume Death

    Died from intestinal cancer. Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.

  • Dialogues concerning Natural Religion

    Posthumous publication of a controversial work. Morris, Ted. "David Hume's Life and Works." n.d. David Hume Society. htttps://www.humesociety.org/about/HumeBiography.asp. 16 September 2018.

  • BBC Video

    https://youtu.be/wczJ5Cly1bA