The writing of David Hume has had tremendous influence and will continue to do so, argued Peter Millican at Thursday evening’s Bentham Lecture, hosted by the British Humanist Association, the Humanist Philosophers and UCL.
Peter Millican, Professor of Philosophy at Hertford College and former co-editor of the journal Hume Studies, made a strong argument that Hume, a key and fascinating Enlightenment figure, is increasingly relevant today, noting that his influence has been extensive. He stated that David Hume ‘still inspires new thought even in disciplines unheard of in Hume’s own day’, and noted that Charles Darwin was reading Hume’s Treatise of Human Nature at the time of developing the theory of evolution and highlighted some of the similarities between the texts, and also commented that Albert Einstein was inspired by Hume’s work when developing the theory of relativity.
Millican introduced the lecture noting that after 300 years some may think that if Hume couldn’t be understood clearly it should be questioned why people continue to study his writing, but if he could write clearly, then surely we have learnt everything we can from studying him. He pointed out that this is not so, and that Hume’s work is every bit as relevant today. The lecture provided an opportunity to defend the study of the history of philosophy, showing that not only can it bring greater understanding to current issues, but also bring a provide a window into insights that may have been lost as fashions and trends in thought and philosophy move on. Interpretations of Hume will continue to differ over time, and high-quality older work studying Hume continues to have value because it sees Hume through the lenses of its time, and brings new perspectives and sets of connections. With this, Millican states that the ‘coming and goings of trends in philosophy can be a benefit and it is impossible to foresee all of the connections that will be beneficial in the future’.
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The Bentham Lecture is part of the BHA’s annual lecture programme, which also includes the Voltaire, Holyoake and Darwin lectures. For information about future BHA events, visit humanists.uk/meet-up/events.
The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. We promote Humanism, support and represent the non-religious, and promote a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.
Peter Millican is well known for his work on David Hume, and from 2005 until 2010 was Co-Editor of the journal Hume Studies. He is also an International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster, and has a strong interest in the field of Computing and its links with Philosophy. Recently he has developed a new degree programme at Oxford University, in Computer Science and Philosophy, due to accept its first students in 2012.