Was David Hume racist? Here's the Scottish philosopher's racist comment in full

The Scottish university has been accused of "cancelling" the philosopher, and holding him up to present day standards of morality, but what exactly did David Hume write?

Here are the philosopher's racist comments in full: 

"I am apt to suspect the negroes and in general all other species of men (for there are four or five different kinds) to be naturally inferior to the whites.

"There never was a civilized nation of any other complexion than white, nor even any individual eminent either in action or speculation. No ingenious manufactures amongst them, no arts, no sciences.

READ MORE: Edinburgh University drops 'white supremacist' David Hume from building name

"On the other hand, the most rude and barbarous of the whites, such as the ancient GERMANS, the present TARTARS, have still something eminent about them, in their valour, form of government, or some other particular.

"Such a uniform and constant difference could not happen, in so many countries and ages, if nature had not made an original distinction betwixt these breeds of men.

"Not to mention our colonies, there are NEGROE slaves dispersed all over EUROPE, of which none ever discovered any symptoms of ingenuity; tho' low people, without education, will start up amongst us, and distinguish themselves in every profession.

"In JAMAICA, indeed, they talk of one negroe as a man of parts and learning; but 'tis likely he is admired for very slender accomplishments, like a parrot, who speaks a few words plainly."

Before his death in 1776, Hume revised the first two lines of that footnote, originally written in 1753. 

His revisions made the first lines read: "I am apt to suspect the negroes to be naturally inferior to the whites. There scarcely ever was a civilized nation of that complexion nor even any individual eminent either in action or speculation."

The rest of the note Hume left unchanged.

Writing on Hume's changes, academic John Immerwahr said: "The fact that Hume revised the note further proves that Hume's racism was deliberate rather than casual.

"The revision proves that Hume did seriously consider objections to his racist position.

"His response, however, was to sharpen his attack on blacks further. His racism should thus be read as something he was willing to defend, rather than as an offhand remark."

Hume was challenged on his racist views in his own time, including by the Scottish philosopher James Beattie, who wrote: "The empires of Peru and Mexico could not have been governed, nor the metropolis of the latter built after so singular a manner, in the middle of a lake, without men eminent both for action and speculation.

"Everybody has heard of the magnificence, good government, and ingenuity, of the ancient Peruvians. The Africans and Americans are known to have many ingenious manufactures and arts among them, which even Europeans would find it no easy matter to imitate."

The University of Cambridge’s Dr Felix Waldmann said Hume "was aware of the widespread denunciation of slavery by his contemporaries", but he chose to ignore them as he "was not deferential to social convention".

Waldmann said Hume’s views “served without doubt to fortify the institution of racialized slavery in the later eighteenth and early nineteenth century”.

“More importantly, the fact that he was involved in the slave trade is now a matter of record,” he said, adding that it was “absurd” to suggest Hume did not appreciate what he was doing was wrong.

“Anyone possessed of Hume’s talents would recognise the obvious enormity of slavery. But Hume endorsed slavery; indeed, he justified it," Waldmann said.