What was Hume's stance on knowledge beyond direct sensory experiences?

David Hume, a prominent philosopher in the Empiricist tradition, argued that all knowledge is fundamentally rooted in sensory experience. He was particularly skeptical about knowledge claims that extend beyond what can be directly observed through the senses. According to Hume, any idea that cannot be traced back to an empirical source lacks justification and cannot be considered reliable knowledge.

He believed that our understanding of causation, the external world, and even concepts of the divine were problematic when they relied on reasoning that goes beyond immediate experience. As Hume famously stated, "If we take in our hand any volume; of divinity or school metaphysics, for example; let us ask,” upon what relation it is based. If it's not linked back to sensory experience, it lacks empirical support and, therefore, cannot be justifiably claimed as knowledge.

This stance led Hume to conclude that knowledge that exceeds direct sensory experience cannot be justified, making it impossible to uphold claims about the metaphysical or supernatural with certainty. This perspective highlights a key tenet of his philosophy, which emphasizes the limits of human understanding and the reliance on empirical evidence.