David Hume’s Contribution to Emergence of Psychologism in Western Philosophy

In many respects, David Hume pioneered tremendous developments in philosophy, some of which continue until today. A case in which is his introduction of a version of psychologism into different areas of philosophy. In the present article, which uses the descriptive and analytical method, we begin with a description of the presence of the psychologistic element in major parts of Hume’s philosophy, including his discussions of causation, substance, identity, the soul, the origin of morality, and universal concepts. We then analyze his contribution and the importance of his psychologistic approach in various aspects. We aim to show that very influential trends today, including naturalism and interdisciplinary studies in cognitive science, have roots in his psychologistic approach.