The rise and fall of British Empiricism is probably philosophy's most dramatic example of pushing premises to their logical and fatal conclusions. Empiricism was born in 1690 with the appearence of Locke's essay, and it flourished as the reigning school until 1739 when Hume's Treatise strangled it with its own cinctures. What started as'common sense' dualism in Locke dwindled into the optimistic idealism of Berkeley

Locke, J. (1632-1704) An essay concerning human understanding (1690) --George Berkeley (1685-1753) treatise concerning the principles of human knowledge (1710) -- Three dialogues between Hylas and Philonous, in opposition to sceptics and atheists (1713) -- David Hume (1711-76) An enquiry concerning human understanding (1748) -- Dialogues concerning natural religion (1779).