Empirismo, perfectibilidade e ceticismo em Constant e Hume

Abstract

The article investigates the different philosophical developments given to empiricism by Benjamin Constant and David Hume. For Constant, knowledge derived from sensations gives rise to a progressive and irreversible Philosophy of History. For Hume, this knowledge entails a philosophical skepticism that denies the idea of causality. Although they reason from empiricist assumptions and conclude radically different ideas, they both argue in a similar way when discussing the concepts of sacrifice and belief.