大卫·休谟不仅是启蒙思想家，也是一位历史学家。他撰述《英国史》的思想背景包括大陆理性主义、本土经验主义和古典学教育背景。在史学本体论方面，休谟从人性论出发，认为历史的功用在于揭示人性中恒常的普遍原则，但在具体撰述中又有所突破；作为启蒙思想家，休谟对理性精神推崇备至，但经验主义又使他对理性抱有怀疑的态度；在政治思想方面，休谟认为混合政体是最优秀的政体，兼有保守主义和自由主义的双重倾向；在具体撰述方法上，休谟虽强调史料批判的作用，但也大量运用想象思维塑造历史人物的心理状态，表现出文史不分的特点。休谟史学蕴含的怀疑和批判精神是一笔宝贵的精神财富。%David Hume was not only an enlightenment thinker but also a historian. Ideological background be-hind his writing The History of England included continent rationalism,local empiricism and education of Classical Studies. In terms of historical ontology,based on his theory of human nature,Hume believed that the function of history was to reveal the common principle of human nature,but in specific writing he had some breakthrough. As an enlightenment thinker,Hume advocated reason highly,but empiricism led him to hold a doubtful attitude to-wards reason. In the aspect of political thought,Hume thought the mixed regime was the best one,showing the both tendency of liberalism and conservatism. In the concrete methods of writing,though Hume emphasized the a-nalysis of historical data,he used imaginative thought to shape the behaviors and psychological states of historical figures,showing up the characteristic that literature and history were not divided. The skeptical and critical spirit in the Humeˊs history are valuable spiritual wealth.
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