Members of the Philosophy department reflect on David Hume Tower name change
Reflections on the David Hume Tower name change
An interim decision, taken by the University of Edinburgh, to rename the David Hume Tower has prompted staff within the Philosophy department to reflect and consider what Hume, and this decision, means to them.
As philosophers, our responses to the renaming vary widely, as do the responses of the wider academic community. Out of respect for this diversity of opinion, all Philosophy staff have been invited to contribute to a blog to share their individual thoughts on the recent announcement:
Philosophy staff – Voice on Hume
The department is also in the process of organising a number of events around the issue, including a student-led wikithon on the history of the David Hume Tower (November 2020), a roundtable dedicated to the renaming bringing together academics, students, and alumni of the university (January 2021), an academic conference focused on Hume’s racism and its legacy (2021).