DAVID HUME
David Hume (1711-1776) was a Scotsman who authored several works: in 1742, Essays Moral and Political and in 1748, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding and An Enquiry Concerning the Principals of Morals. Humes' philosophy defeated the Empirical Method as a means of establishing Absolutes.
The defeat of Empiricism also marked the defeat of Deism[1] which drew its reasoning from Empiricism.
This were the beginnings of Humanistic "modern science"; to attempt to replace Faith as the Absolute by substituting the Empirical Model in its place.Humes' Refutation was valid, still, the Empirical Method is accepted as totally valid still today by many as an "absolute", even though it is false.
REJECTION OF FAITH INTRODUCED BY JOHN LOCKE
John Locke had become the chief representative of the philosophy of Empiricism as the Absolute. Locke published his Essay of Human Understanding in 1690. He held that all knowledge is derived from "experience": the "outer experience" of the 5 senses, and the "inner experience" through the functioning of the mind.
Locke taught that Faith is uncertain and that Certainty could only be established by Pure Reason: Empiricism. These ideas were prevalent during this time.
DEISM
This time was known as "The Age of Reason" and so there was also developed a "more reasonable" type of religion based upon Humanistic mans' ideas. Deism. It was founded upon the "Principles of Pure Reason" that John Locke and others had theorized.
Deism put forward the idea of a "Natural Religion".[2] Because of the European religious wars, many were seeking another answer, and decided on Religious Toleration. Deism declared all religions basically the same, as long as they did abide by the following 5 Principles:
1. The Existence of God
2. The Obligation to worship God.
3. The Ethical Requirements of such worship.
4. The Need for repentance.
5. Reward and punishment, both in this life and the life to come.
This was Deism. Deism tried to counter what it considered "narrow dogmatism" from Christians, and the easy skepticism of those who had abandoned religion altogether. By inventing and setting up its' new "reasonable religion" they hoped to answer these several objections.
HUMES' REFUTATION
Hume put forward the idea that Pure Reason, even Empiricism, cannot establish Absolute Certainty. He began with Lockes' Empiricism and said that their conclusions were not totally valid.
Hume said that we perceive certain phenomenae and give them names without using rational knowledge. We say that we "see an apple" but we only can relate what our senses have observed. We see something that might correspond to "an apple"; having the same color, weight, texture, smell, taste and so on, but these are learned experiences. However, we have actually not "experienced" the substance at all, but have merely developed the habit of naming it an apple. The mind at some point chooses to declare it "an apple" after certain personally learned conditions are met. Hume said the habit of calling anything anything is a subjective act that takes place entirely in our mind.
Hume announced that even according to the Rules of Empiricism, this was not rational knowledge, therefore Absolute Certainty could not be established by Pure Reason. The "reasonableness" of "The Age of Reason": Pure Reason, Hume proved, was not as "certain" as these ones were attempting to make everyone believe.
Hume, in dismantling Humanistic "Pure Reason" as a philosophic base-model, was the forerunner of todays' POSTMODERNIST MOVEMENT which also shows these same principles.
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FOOTNOTES
[1]Emmanuel Kant credited Hume with having awakened him from his "dogmatic slumber". Later, Kant authored Critique of Pure Reason.
[2]The Deists attempted to prove that all religions being equal, they said, deserved equal toleration as each was "equally valid". There could have been some influence apparently between Araianism and of Deism.
Many at this time based their thinking on John Locke. Thomas Jefferson, who was not a Christian, did so. Their reasonings were based on what they called the "reasonableness" of "Natures' God". Governments at this time sought to set up Secular Religion -Tolerant states that recommended certain "religious works" as "reasonable", while not Fully proclaiming Jesus Christ as Messiah, not accepting the whole Bible as authoritative and discounting the miraculous.
The Deists paid scant attention to Biblical historical events and also rejected revelations and the miraculous. When Jesus Christ Himself was eventually discounted by Deism, Christian theologians spoke out. Their criticisms seemed as nothing however, compared to Humes' demolition of Deisms' foundation that rested on Pure Reason. Deism as a serious "religious sect" ended with Hume. Deism and Lockes' ideas, both defeated, still live on in modified political form and the Empirical Model.
There simply is no better idea they have been able to construct to replace Faith as the Absolute, so they simply deny reality and refuse to concede defeat.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity. Peabody, Massachusetts. Prince Press. 1999.
Schaeffer, Dr. Francis. How Shall We Then Live? Video Series.