Letter: Hume affairs

I DON’T know whether anyone else has noticed the extraordinary resemblance between the famous philosopher David Hume, shown in the article by Brian Ferguson (14 February), and our own dear First Minister.

With the addition of a powdered wig for Mr Salmond, the two could be brothers. Perhaps Hume shared a similar passion for an 18th-century version of Tunnock’s teacakes, for both gentlemen appear to be mercifully free of the “lean and hungry look” that Shakespeare warned is the mark of a slippery politician.

It seems also Hume knew individuals like Donald Trump and his wind turbine obsession, as he remarked: “When men are most sure and arrogant they are commonly most mistaken, giving views to passion without that proper deliberation which alone can secure them from the grossest absurdities.”

If Mr Salmond is indeed a descendant of the philosopher, I am sure he will similarly aim to ensure in his independence deliberations that “the truth springs from arguments amongst friends”.

(Dr) Mary Brown

Dalvenie Road

Banchory