Person

David Hume

Not who you're looking for? Others named David Hume: Scottish philosopher, economist, and historian (1711-1776) · Scottish advocate and judge (1757-1838) · Australian rules footballer · painting by Allan Ramsay

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Overview

David Hume (1796 Berwick, Scotland - 1 February 1864 Grahamstown) was an explorer and big-game hunter who lived much of his life in Cape Colony. David Hume was born in Berwick, Scotland and went to Cape Colony with Benjamin Moodie's Scottish settlers in 1817. He became a pioneer trader, explorer and renowned big-game hunter. Starting in 1829 when he accompanied Robert Moffat, he arranged trips into Mzilikazi's territory and was one of the first Europeans to meet this chief of the Matabele. In 1830 he explored the region north of the Limpopo River searching for gold. He was also the first recorded European to enter Bamangwato, the present-day Botswana. Hume heard reports of the existence of Lake Ngami, but in 1836 lacked the funds to mount an expedition. He had settled at Kuruman with his family and annually sold the products of his hunting on the Market Square in Grahamstown. On 2 April 1851 he sold of ivory for £5,260 and karosses and ostrich plumes to the value of £5,802. In 1854 he was elected as one of eight municipal commissioners of Grahamstown. Death Hume died in Grahamstown on 1 February 1864. Family Hume married Margaret Pirie on 12 Dec 1829 in Grahamstown; she had immigrated with her father in 1820, aged 11. She had been born in England about 1807 and died on 20 August 1897 in Grahamstown. Details are known of only one of their children - David Robert Hume born about 1841 and married Mary Ann Abigail Thomas, also born about 1841 in Albany and died 17 November 1865 at "Glen Cliff", Bedford.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Notable quotes

“Does a man of sense run after every silly tale of hobgoblins or fairies, and canvass particularly the evidence? I never knew anyone, that examined and deliberated about nonsense who did not believe it before the end of his enquiries.”
— Letters
“At present they [philosophers] seem to be in a very lamentable condition, and such as the poets have given us but a faint notion of in their descriptions of the punishment of Sisyphus and Tantalus. For what can be imagin'd more tormenting, than to seek with eagerness, what for ever flies us; and seek for it in a place, where 'tis impossible it can ever exist?”
— Part 4, Section 3
“'Tis only from the selfishness and confin'd generosity of men, along with the scanty provision nature has made for his wants, that justice derives its origin.”
— Part 2, Section 2
“In our reasonings concerning matter of fact, there are all imaginable degrees of assurance, from the highest certainty to the lowest species of moral evidence. A wise man, therefore, proportions his belief to the evidence.”
— Section X: Of Miracles; Part I. 87
“It is a great mortification to the vanity of man, that his utmost art and industry can never equal the meanest of nature's productions, either for beauty or value. Art is only the under-workman, and is employed to give a few strokes of embellishment to those pieces, which come from the hand of the master”
— Part I, Essay 15: The Epicurean
“What peculiar privilege has this little agitation of the brain which we call thought, that we must thus make it the model of the whole universe? Our partiality in our own favour does indeed present it on all occasions; but sound philosophy ought carefully to guard against so natural an illusion.”
— Philo to Cleanthes, Part II

Quotes via Wikiquote (CC BY-SA), each with its original source.

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Overview

David Hume (1796 Berwick, Scotland - 1 February 1864 Grahamstown) was an explorer and big-game hunter who lived much of his life in Cape Colony. David Hume was born in Berwick, Scotland and went to Cape Colony with Benjamin Moodie's Scottish settlers in 1817. He became a pioneer trader, explorer and renowned big-game hunter. Starting in 1829 when he accompanied Robert Moffat, he arranged trips into Mzilikazi's territory and was one of the first Europeans to meet this chief of the Matabele. In 1830 he explored the region north of the Limpopo River searching for gold. He was also the first recorded European to enter Bamangwato, the present-day Botswana. Hume heard reports of the existence of Lake Ngami, but in 1836 lacked the funds to mount an expedition. He had settled at Kuruman with his family and annually sold the products of his hunting on the Market Square in Grahamstown. On 2 April 1851 he sold of ivory for £5,260 and karosses and ostrich plumes to the value of £5,802. In 1854 he was elected as one of eight municipal commissioners of Grahamstown. Death Hume died in Grahamstown on 1 February 1864. Family Hume married Margaret Pirie on 12 Dec 1829 in Grahamstown; she had immigrated with her father in 1820, aged 11. She had been born in England about 1807 and died on 20 August 1897 in Grahamstown. Details are known of only one of their children - David Robert Hume born about 1841 and married Mary Ann Abigail Thomas, also born about 1841 in Albany and died 17 November 1865 at "Glen Cliff", Bedford.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Notable quotes

“Does a man of sense run after every silly tale of hobgoblins or fairies, and canvass particularly the evidence? I never knew anyone, that examined and deliberated about nonsense who did not believe it before the end of his enquiries.”
— Letters
“At present they [philosophers] seem to be in a very lamentable condition, and such as the poets have given us but a faint notion of in their descriptions of the punishment of Sisyphus and Tantalus. For what can be imagin'd more tormenting, than to seek with eagerness, what for ever flies us; and seek for it in a place, where 'tis impossible it can ever exist?”
— Part 4, Section 3
“'Tis only from the selfishness and confin'd generosity of men, along with the scanty provision nature has made for his wants, that justice derives its origin.”
— Part 2, Section 2
“In our reasonings concerning matter of fact, there are all imaginable degrees of assurance, from the highest certainty to the lowest species of moral evidence. A wise man, therefore, proportions his belief to the evidence.”
— Section X: Of Miracles; Part I. 87
“It is a great mortification to the vanity of man, that his utmost art and industry can never equal the meanest of nature's productions, either for beauty or value. Art is only the under-workman, and is employed to give a few strokes of embellishment to those pieces, which come from the hand of the master”
— Part I, Essay 15: The Epicurean
“What peculiar privilege has this little agitation of the brain which we call thought, that we must thus make it the model of the whole universe? Our partiality in our own favour does indeed present it on all occasions; but sound philosophy ought carefully to guard against so natural an illusion.”
— Philo to Cleanthes, Part II

Quotes via Wikiquote (CC BY-SA), each with its original source.

Not who you're looking for? Others named David Hume: Scottish philosopher, economist, and historian (1711-1776) · Scottish advocate and judge (1757-1838) · Australian rules footballer · painting by Allan Ramsay