The Correlation between Empiricism and Social Theory in Humean Philosophy

Abstract

Is it possible to regard epistemology as a discipline which is quite independent of social philosophy? This paper focuses on Hume and his precursors, and endeavours to show whether there is any correlation between their empirical theory of knowledge and their social philosophy. Regarding the theorists dealt with in this paper, I would like to submit that the empirical method which may lead to total scepticism about objective knowledge and morality has at least some psychological connection with the idea of the acceptance of existing social institutions.