A Treatise of Human Nature / Edition 1

by David Hume, David Fate Norton, Mary J. Norton

Overview

The Oxford Philosophical Texts series consists of truly practical and accessible guides to major philosophical texts in the history of philosophy from the ancient world up to modern times. Each book opens with a comprehensive introduction by a leading specialist which covers the philosopher's life, work, and influence. Endnotes, a full bibliography, guides to further reading, and an index are also included. The series aims to build a definitive corpus of key texts in the Western philosophical tradition, forming a reliable and enduring resource for students and teachers alike.
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 is also the focal point of current attempts to understand 18th-century philosophy The Treatise first explains how we form such concepts as cause and effect, external existence, and personal identity, and how we create compelling but unverifiable beliefs in the entities represented by these concepts. It then offers a novel account of the passions, explains freedom and necessity as they apply to human choices and actions, and concludes with a detailed explanation of how we distinguish between virtue and vice. The volume features Hume's own abstract of the Treatise, a substantial introduction that explains the aims of the Treatise as a whole and of each of its ten parts, a comprehensive index, and suggestions for further reading.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198751724
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/24/2000
Series:	Oxford Philosophical Texts
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	744
Sales rank:	310,758
Product dimensions:	9.15(w) x 6.10(h) x 1.53(d)

About the Author

David Norton is Macdonald Professor of Moral Philosophy and Co-director of the Hume Society/National Endowment for the Humanities Institute on the Philosophy of David Hume.

Mary J. Norton is an independent scholar

Table of Contents

PART 1: INTRODUCTORY MATERIALHow to Use this BookList of AbbreviationsEditor's IntroductionHume's Early years and EducationA Treatise of Human NatureBook 1: Of the UnderstandingBook 1 part 1: The Elements of the Mental WorldBook 1 Part 2: The Ideas of Space and TimeBook 1 Part 3: Knowledge, Probability, Belief, and CausationBook 1 Part 4: Forms of ScepticismBook 2: Of the passionsBook 2 Part 1: The Indirect Passions of Pride and HumilityBook 2 Part 2: The Indirect Passions of Love and HatredBook 2 part 3: The Direct Passions and the WillBook 3: Of MoralsBook 3 Part 1: The Source of Moral DistinctionsBook 3 Part 2: The Artificial VirtuesBook 3 Part 3: Natural Virtues and Natural AbilitiesThe Abstract and the Early Reception of the TreatiseSupplementary ReadingA Note on the Texts of this EditionPART 2: THE TEXTAdvertisementIntroductionBook 1: Of the UnderstandingPart 1: Of ideas, their origin, composition, connexion, abstraction, etc.Sect. 1: Of the origin of our ideasSect. 2: Division of the subjectSect. 3: Of the ideas of the memory and imaginationSect. 4: Of the connexion of association of ideasSect. 5. Of relationsSect. 6 Of modes and substancesSect. 7: Of abstract ideasPart 2: Of ideas of space and timeSect. 1: Of the infinite divisibility of our ideas of space and timeSect. 2: Of the infinite divisibility of space and timeSect. 3. Of the other qualities of our ideas of space and timeSect. 4. Objections answeredSect. 5: The same subject continuedSect. 6: Of the idea of existence and of external existencePart 3: of knowledge and probabilitySect. 1: Of knowledgeSect. 2. Of probability; and of the idea of cause and effectSect. 3: Why a cause is always necessarySect. 4: Of the component parts of our reasonings concerning cause and effectSect. 5: Of the impressions of the senses and memorySection. 6: Of the inference from the impression to the ideaSect. 7: Of the nature of the idea or beliefSect. 8: Of the causes of beliefSect. 9: Of the effects of other relations and other habitsSect 10. Of the influence of beliefSect. 11: Of the probability of chancesSect. 12: Of the probability of causesSect. 13: Of unphilosophical probabilitySect. 14: Of the idea of necessary connexionSect. 15: Rules by which to judge of causes and effectsSect. 16: Of the reason of animalsPart 4: Of the sceptical and other systems of philosophySect. 1: Of scepticism with regard to reasonSect. 2: Of scepticism with regard to the sensesSect. 3. Of the ancient philosophySect 4. Of the modern philosophySect. 5: Of the immateriality of the soulSect. 6: Of personal identitySect. 7: Conclusion of this bookBook 2: Of the PassionsPart 1: Of pride and humilitySect. 1: Division of the subjectSect. 2: Of pride and humility; their objects and causesSect. 3: Whence these objects and causes are derivedSect. 4: Of the relations of impressions and ideasSect. 5: Of the influence of these relations on pride and humilitySect. 6: Limitations of this systemSect. 7: Of vice and virtueSect. 8: Of beauty and deformitySect. 9: Of external advantages and disadvantagesSect. 10: Of property and richesSect. 11: Of the love of fameSect. 12: Of the pride and humility of animalsPart 2: Of love and hatredSect. 1: Of the objects and causes of love and hatredSect. 2: Experiments to confirm this systemSect. 3: Difficulties solvedSect. 4: Of the love of relationsSect. 5: Of our esteem for the rich and powerfulSect 6: Of benevolence and angerSect. 7: Of compassionSect. 8: Of malice and envySect. 9: Of the mixture of benevolence and anger with compassion and maliceSect. 10. Of respect and contemptSect. 11: Of the amorous passion, or love betwixt the sexesSect. 12: Of the love and hatred of animalsPart 3: Of the will and direct passionsSect. 1: Of liberty and necessitySect. 2: The same subject continuedSect. 3: Of the influencing motives of the willSect. 4: Of the causes of the violent passionsSect. 5: Of the effects of customSect. Of the influence of the imagination on passionsSect. 7: Of contiguity and distance in space and timeSect. 8: The same subject continuedSect. 9: Of the direct passionsSect. 10: Of curiosity, or the love of truthBook 3: Of MoralsAdvertisementPart 1: Of virtue and vice in generalSect. 1: Moral distinctions not derived from reasonSect. 2: Moral distinctions derived from a moral sensePart 2: Of justice and injusticeSect. 1: Justice, whether a natural or artificial virtue? Sect. 2: Of the origin of justice and propertySect. 3: Of the rules, which determine propertySect. 4: Of the transference of property by consentSect. 5: Of the obligation of promisesSect. 6: Some farther reflections concerning justice and injusticeSect. 7: Of the origin of governmentSect. 8: Of the source of allegianceSect. 9: Of the measures of allegianceSect. 10: Of the objects of allegianceSect. 11: Of the laws of nationsSect. 12: Of chastity and modestyPart 3: Of the other virtues and vicesSect. 1: Of the origin of the natural virtues and vicesSect. 2: Of greatness of mindSect. 3. Of goodness and benevolenceSect. 4: Of natural abilitiesSect. 5: Some farther reflections concerning the natural virtuesSect. 6: Conclusion of this bookAppendixAn Abstract of ... A Treatise of Human NaturePART 3 SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALEditors' Annotations, Annotations to the Treatise, Annotations to the AbstractGlossaryReferencesIndex

Editorial Reviews

"This is the best edition around, especially for its glossary, index and the inclusion of the 'Abstract.'"—Professor Forrest Williams, University of Colorado

"This is the best edition available with an excellent index and notes!"—George Aigla, St. Johns College

From the Publisher