Meaning: David Hume, a prominent Scottish philosopher, historian, and economist of the 18th century, made this statement as a critique of the prevailing educational and intellectual climate of his time. In this quote, Hume expresses his belief that scholastic learning and polemical divinity, which refers to religious debates and controversies, hinder the advancement of genuine knowledge.

During Hume's lifetime, the dominant educational system in Europe, and particularly in the UK, was heavily influenced by scholasticism. Scholastic learning was rooted in the medieval tradition of using the works of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers, particularly Aristotle, as the foundation for education and intellectual discourse. This approach to learning often involved intense focus on intricate and sometimes esoteric philosophical and theological debates that were disconnected from practical application or empirical observation.

Moreover, polemical divinity, or religious disputations, was a common feature of intellectual life in Hume's era. The period was marked by religious conflicts and debates, with various religious denominations engaging in fervent and often acrimonious discussions over theological doctrines and beliefs. These debates often distracted scholars and thinkers from pursuing inquiries into the natural world and human experience.

Hume's assertion that these prevailing intellectual pursuits "retarded the growth of all true knowledge" reflects his skepticism toward the value of scholasticism and polemical divinity in advancing human understanding. Hume was a proponent of empirical observation and scientific reasoning, and he believed that genuine knowledge could only be obtained through direct experience and rational inquiry.

Hume's critique of scholastic learning and polemical divinity can be understood in the context of his broader philosophical framework, which emphasized the limitations of human understanding and the importance of empirical evidence in forming beliefs. In his influential works such as "A Treatise of Human Nature" and "An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding," Hume argued that knowledge should be based on sensory experience and that speculative reasoning divorced from empirical observation was inherently unreliable.

In the quote, Hume's use of the term "true knowledge" suggests a distinction between genuine, verifiable knowledge derived from empirical observation and speculative, abstract knowledge derived from scholastic and theological debates. For Hume, the pursuit of true knowledge required a departure from the traditional scholastic and theological modes of inquiry and a shift toward the empirical methods championed by the emerging scientific revolution.

Hume's critique of scholastic learning and polemical divinity aligns with the broader intellectual currents of the Enlightenment, a period characterized by a reorientation of thought toward reason, empirical evidence, and the advancement of human knowledge. The Enlightenment thinkers sought to challenge traditional authority, including that of scholastic and religious institutions, and to promote a more secular, rational, and scientifically informed approach to understanding the world.

In conclusion, David Hume's quote serves as a pointed criticism of the intellectual climate of his time, particularly the dominance of scholastic learning and polemical divinity. His assertion that these pursuits hindered the growth of true knowledge reflects his commitment to empirical observation and rational inquiry as the foundations of genuine understanding. Hume's critique can be seen as part of the broader Enlightenment movement's emphasis on reason, skepticism, and the pursuit of knowledge grounded in empirical evidence.