David Hume (opens in new tab)

David Hume was born in Edinburgh to a comfortable though not wealthy upbringing. His mother was responsible for his education until he studied at the University of Edinburgh at the age of eleven, leaving at the age of fifteen. As a second son, Hume would have to make his own fortune in the world; his family encouraged him to pursue a legal career, but he had neither the interest nor inclination for this path, turning his mind instead to philosophical study. His studies would engender a nervou...