YOUR report of the decision to change the name of the David Hume building of the University of Edinburgh to 40 George Square incensed me, but it also drove me to look again at my copy of the Essays, Moral, Political and Literary of David Hume.
As confirmed by my re-reading, this was not just an ill-considered decision, but one not based on any realistic or accurate assessment of his writings on or attitude towards slavery. To accuse David Hume of being pro-slavery is nonsense.
Even a quick re-reading of two of his essays confirms my reaction that the action taken by the university was utterly wrong.
READ MORE: Leading philosopher blasts move to rename David Hume Tower
In Essay XI in Part II, “Of the Populousness of Ancient Nations” an editorial note accompanies Hume’s condemnatory analysis of slavery and concludes: “This paragraph and the ones that follow are notable for their strong condemnation of domestic slavery as a condition far worse than submission to even the most arbitrary civil government.
In this and in his insistence that slavery debases even the slavemasters by turning them into petty tyrants, Hume anticipates the arguments of many in Britain and America who agreed with him in opposing slavery”.
Hume was passionately against slavery, as the following passage from the above essay shows. Referring to the Roman practice: “A chained slave for a porter was usual in Rome as appears from Ovid and other authors. Had not these people shaken off all sense of compassion towards that unhappy part of their species, would they have presented their friends, at the first entrance, with such an image of the severity of the master and the misery of the slave?”
READ MORE: Site of David Hume Tower has important literary connections
The lack of respect shown to “le bon David”, a well-earned nickname given to him by the French, is unbelievable when its source is the University of Edinburgh. Where was the defence that could have come from the departments of philosophy or history or literature, or the court of the university? As a former court member of one of our younger universities I am astonished at this seeming lack of defence. I can only hope that this matter will be given further thought and that that David Hume’s name will again adorn the building.
I conclude with the tribute once paid by hs friend Adam Smith shortly after Hume’s death: “I have always considered him both in his lifetime and since his death, as approaching as nearly to the idea of a perfectly wise and virtuous man, as perhaps the nature of human frailty will permit”.
Dr J Walter McGinty
Inverness
THE revelation that the UK Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, was preparing to restrict Covid tests in Scotland so that they could deal with their backlog is yet another sign of the total disregard the UK Government has for the people of Scotland.
Thankfully we’ve got Jeane Freeman fighting our corner, and she stopped Hancock from his discrimination against the people of Scotland. Following on from Lord George Foulkes and his BritNat pals celebrating the BBC’s decision to stop screening vital health information in the midst of a pandemic, you really have to wonder why anyone still wants to remain part of the UK.
It seems that independence is urgent – not just for our economy but also for our health. It’s time to get out of the UK.
Cllr Kenny MacLaren
Paisley
ORKNEY and Shetland should beware of interfering English bearing promises. They will be used to further the English regime interest, and once it has got what it wants said English regime will dump all over them – beginning, probably, with making the islands the new “home” for the regime’s nukes.
READ MORE: Don’t fall into the trap of using Project Fear arguments about Shetland
I marvel at Frances McKie’s obviously well-meant sentiment (Letters, September 14) now echoed by others, that “self-determination is the absolute right of Orkney and Shetland” which is tantamount to saying the former kingdoms of Kent and Suffolk have an absolute right to secede from the rest of England. I can take a wild guess what English people would think of that.
Linda Horsburgh
Dundee
EARLY on in my membership of the SNP and my total devotion to Scottish independence, I was asked a question at a meeting at my local branch regarding about which way I thought we should travel in to gain independence.
My response, which raised a few eyebrows and a bit of thinking through, was this: “just gee them enuff rope.”
Over the last few days that rope has tightened so much around the Tory necks. So listen, please: we have them by the “short and curlies”. This time they have overstepped the mark and lost world respect.
This is OUR time, the gate has been thrown wide open and we must walk in solidarity through. Pit oor differences tae yin side and let’s unite and work for that “dream o dreams” oo aw share.
OO deserve eet, oor families and oor kids deserve eet. Lets leave them a legacy that oo can be prood o’.
Ken McCartney
Hawick
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