Hume in 90 Minutes

David Hume (1711-1776), writes Paul Strathern, is "the only philosopher whose ideas remain plausible to us today." Hume's most substantial contribution to philosophy could be simplified as the denial of the existence of anything but our own perceptions--or it could be more subtly described as a realization of the contingency of our knowledge of the world, where any explanation for phenomena--be it rooted in religion, science, or some other discipline--is uncertain. Strathern's short volume puts Hume's "extreme empiricism" and the rest of his career into perspective with the author's usual dry wit--as when he summarizes Hume's positions on miracles and suicide as "no such thing" and "up to you."