EMPIRICISM AS A TURNING POINT: HUME’S ROLE IN KANT’S PHILOSOPHICAL AWAKENING

Abstract

This paper explores Hume’s philosophy of empiricism and its impact on philosophical concepts that emerged in the following centuries. The central theme of the research is the philosophy of David Hume, whose ideas paved the way for romantic, idealistic, and contemporary philosophy, as well as an understanding of the complexity of human knowledge and experience. Hume’s understanding of human nature’s complexity, which encompasses both emotional and social aspects of human experience, transcends the limitations of traditional metaphysics. The idea that evaluative judgments cannot be derived from indicative ones awakened Kant from his “dogmatic slumber” and enabled one of the greatest events in the history of philosophy: the shift from “being” to “ought”. Hume’s discussions of taste, value, and the subjectivity of artistic experience influenced the direction in which aesthetics, as an independent discipline, would develop in both the immediate and distant future of the era of empiricism. Hume’s skeptical approach also influenced Marx’s critique of social and economic structures based on concrete conditions and historical contexts, extending to critical theory and contemporary political philosophy, remaining relevant in modern discussions about human rights and democracy. Through all these aspects, it becomes evident that Hume’s influence transcends his individual achievements, laying the groundwork for the further development of philosophical and social thought.