Some aspects of the scientific views of Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion

Abstract

This paper aims at investigating some aspects of the scientific view of David Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779). Based on the dialogue about experimental reasoning and religion between the characters Cleanthes and Philo, this paper examines and compares their point of view about three theses. The theses are called globality, terminality and observationality and they are related to scientific understanding and its limits to knowledge of divine truths.