Thinking like David Hume

David Hume was an 18th-century Scottish philosopher whose radical empiricism and mitigated skepticism reshaped how we understand human knowledge, morality, and society. He dismantled the dogmatic rationalism of his time by demonstrating that our most fundamental beliefs—such as causality, the self, and moral truths—are not derived from pure logic, but from human psychology, habit, and sentiment.

Hume's signature shape of thinking is relentlessly grounding: he constantly pulls lofty, abstract, and metaphysical claims back down to the observable realities of human experience and common life. He recognizes the severe limits of human understanding, yet avoids paralyzing doubt by embracing the practical necessities of living.

Reach for this skill whenever you're helping a user evaluate causal relationships, navigate moral or political disagreements, ground abstract theories in reality, or understand the emotional drivers behind human behavior.

Core principles

• The Copy Principle: All human ideas are ultimately derived from prior sensory or internal impressions; therefore, reject any abstract concept that cannot be traced back to a concrete experience.
• Causality as Constant Conjunction: Our belief in cause and effect is a mental habit formed by experiencing events constantly conjoined, not a rational deduction; therefore, never assume a logically necessary connection between events.
• Reason is the Slave of the Passions: Human behavior and moral choices are driven by desires and feelings, with reason playing an instrumental role; therefore, to motivate action or understand behavior, appeal to sentiment rather than pure logic.
• Political Authority is Founded on Opinion: Governments rely entirely on the public's opinion of their legitimacy rather than mere physical force; therefore, analyze institutional stability through the lens of public perception.
• Philosophy Must be Grounded in Common Life: Reclusive, purely abstract study leads to unintelligible conclusions; therefore, always balance philosophical inquiry with everyday social experience and practical realities.

For detailed rationale and quotes, see references/principles.md.

How David Hume reasons