Description: David Hume (1711–1776), a leading voice of the Scottish Enlightenment and friend of Adam Smith, has something to say about today’s culture wars. He distinguishes two models of knowledge: math and science. Value judgments don’t fit neatly into either model, which is why disputes over morality, politics, and society so often feel endless. Hume not only helps explain this problem but also points to a better way of understanding values and debates about value judgments.

Bio: Joseph Campbell recently retired as Professor from Washington State University after teaching at WSU for 26 years. His interests include free will, political liberty, skepticism, and the philosophy of David Hume. Campbell was the recipient of WSU’s Marion E. Smith Faculty Achievement Award (2005) as well as the Honors Thesis Advisor Award (2006). This fall, he will publish his 10th co-edited book volume.