1. John Locke: 1632-1704 1690: Publication of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding &Two Treatises of Government. Basic Tenets of Locke’s Empiricism: Man is not born with innate ideas. All knowledge is derived through observation and experience. Moral precepts are derived from human experience of pain and pleasure and not from a transcendental authority. Human consciousness is the source of continuity and therefore of personal identity.

2. (Bishop) George Berkley 1685-1753 Born near Thomastown, Ireland. 1709: Essay Towards a New Theory of Vision. 1710 Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge.; Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous. Basic Tenets of his Idealism: Things exist because they are perceived. Primary (objective) qualities and secondary (subjective) qualities cannot be distinguished. Our experience of continuity and coherence proves the existence of God as the supreme perceiver.

3. David Hume: 1711-1776 Major figure of the Scottish Enlightenment along with Adam Smith (1723-1790); Francis Hutcheson (1694-1746) and the jurist Henry Home, Lord Kames (1696-1782). 1739: Treatise of Human Nature; 1748: Enquiry Conerning Human Understanding 1755: Natural History of Religion Basic Tenets of his Skepticism: Questions Inductive or Scientific reasoning as founded on habit not on ascertainable experience. Questions the notion of a continuous and permanent self. Questions the idea of God and miracles as necessary for creation and moral values.