A Treatise of Human Nature

A Treatise of Human Nature (1739-40), David Hume's comprehensive attempt to base philosophy on a new, observationally grounded study of human nature, is one of the most important texts in Western philosophy. It's also the focal point of current attempts to understand 18th-century philosophy. The Treatise 1st explains how we form such concepts as cause & effect, external existence, & personal identity, & to form compelling but unconfirmable beliefs in the entities represented by these concepts. It then offers a novel account of the passions, explains freedom & necessity as they apply to human choices & actions, & concludes with detailed explanations of how we distinguish between virtue & vice & of the different kinds of virtue. Hume's Abstract of the Treatise, also included in the volume, outlines his 'chief argument' regarding our conception of, & belief in, cause & effect. The texts printed in this volume are those of the critical edition of Hume's philosophical works being published by the Clarendon Press. The volume includes a substantial introduction explaining the aims of the Treatise as a whole & of each of its ten parts, extensive annotations, a glossary of terms, a comprehensive index & further reading suggestions.