An important part of David Hume’s work is his attempt to put the natural sciences on a firmer foundation by introducing the
scientific method into the study of human nature. This investigation resulted in a novel understanding of the mind, which
in turn informed Hume’s critical evaluation of the scope and limits of the scientific method as such. However, while these
latter reflections continue to influence today’s philosophy of science, his theory of mind is nowadays mainly of interest
in terms of philosophical scholarship. This paper aims to show that, even though Hume’s recognition in the cognitive sciences
has so far been limited, there is an opportunity to reevaluate his work in the context of more recent scientific developments.
In particular, it is argued that we can gain a better understanding of his overall philosophy by tracing the ongoing establishment
of the enactive approach. In return, this novel interpretation of Hume’s ‘science of man’ is used as the basis for a consideration
of the current and future status of the cognitive sciences.
Keywords Enactivism - Hume - Phenomenology - Life - Mind - Enactive - Cognitive science - Human nature