What we do

The Institute sets out to stimulate and influence thinking in key public policy areas. Our focus is on economic issues, including the inter-action between economy and the law. We are interested in Scottish policy issues, but also in the much broader context within which Scots live and do business. We aim to bring together key parties from the business/and policy-making communities and encourage them to interact with academics and researchers. We find that this coming together of practitioners and theoreticians works well for everyone involved and provides real opportunities to add value to the policy debate. The Institute retains an objective, non-partisan, evidence-based, informed and sceptical approach to consideration of issues. Through our work we hope to have a modest but beneficial impact on policies - an adequate reward for our efforts.

Our  Mission

The David Hume Institute promotes research, analysis and debate on public policy issues

Its work is primarily focused in areas linking economics and law, with a particular interest in the interaction between institutional or legal frameworks and market forces

Its orientation is towards the relevance of market approaches and market solutions in determining economic well-being

In the tradition of Hume, its analysis is of an empirical nature never confusing ‘is’ with ‘ought’

Based in Edinburgh it contributes a metropolitan voice to national and international debate on policy matters in the accessible and incisive style of Hume:

“where every one displays his thoughts and observations in the best manner he is able and mutually gives and receives information as well as pleasure.”

Our  History

The David Hume Institute was set up in Edinburgh in 1985, the first Executive Director being Professor Sir Alan Peacock, to consider legal and economic aspects of public policy questions and to promote the results widely. It aims to be a distinctive non-metropolitan voice, based in, but not confined to Scotland. The Institute has no political affiliations. Its research, publications, conferences and events have been primarily concerned with market approaches to public policy and it has attracted support from Nobel Laureates in economics such as Professors James Buchanan, James Meade and George Stigler.

The aims and objectives of the Institute are to promote discourse and research on economic and legal aspects of public policy questions. The Institute fulfils these objectives in the following ways:

By organising seminars that address topics of current public policy concern by bringing together distinguished and expert speakers and an informed, interested and engaged audience.

Through the Occasional Paper series of lectures and articles which are intended to make its results available to a wider audience in a convenient format lending itself to speedy production and hence to topicality.

Through the Hume Monograph series of papers about topical issues.

The Annual Lecture is delivered by a distiniguished speaker on a topic of current importance and once every three years there is a Presidential Address.