DAVID HUME, THE SALIENCE OF SOCIABILITY AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FOODWAYS.

The article focuses on the significance of food and sociability in the life and philosophy of David Hume, the eighteenth-century Scottish philosopher. It highlights Hume’s emphasis on empathy and conviviality as essential to civilized living, noting his well-known dinner parties in Enlightenment Edinburgh where he served traditional Scottish dishes such as bouilli (boiled meat stew), sheep’s head broth (powsowdie), and soupe à la reine (a white soup with Scottish variants). Contrary to popular assumptions about French culinary influence linked to the “Auld Alliance,” the article argues that Hume’s cuisine was predominantly Scottish and British in character, with little direct French provenance. It also discusses evidence suggesting Hume himself may have actively cooked for his guests, reflecting his integration of intellectual and everyday pleasures, including the enjoyment of food, drink (notably claret and punch), and ice cream.