Natureza humana e história em David Hume

Abstract

This study aims to explore the relations between history and human nature in the works of David Hume, considering that human nature is a central subject for Hume and considering that historical narratives appears expressively all over his works. History associates with the kind of knowledge with which Hume compromises himself, since the use of historical examples shows up as experimental resources: the task to establish all knowledge on experience finds in historical narratives not only abundant data, but also textual form of particular interest. And, if history is the experimental foundation of Hume’s reasoning, then human nature must be known from the study of history, where is asked – how does history teach about the principles of human nature? About that, the study defends that history constitutes human nature, statement by which it intends to denote (a) the acknowledgement of an historical point of view as the starting point of philosophy, and (b) the necessity to regulate the results of philosophical enquiries from experience as the enquiry develops itself, what is done from the reports of history. In other words, this study defends that humean philosophy elaborates itself, within the text, based on an historical experience, what only can be fully understood if admitted, outside the text, the existence of conditions to philosophical activity equally perceived historically.