The Empiricists

George Berkeley (1685–1753) was an Irish philosopher best known for the advancement of a theory he called “immaterialism.” He wrote A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge in 1710.

David Hume (1711-76) was born in Edinburgh and devoted himself to philosophy and literature from an early age. In 1739-40, he published his now highly regarded work, A Treatise of Human Nature. He worked as a tutor, judge advocate, librarian, diplomat and senior civil servant, as well as writing further works such as Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion and a six-volume History of England.