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$428.88
21. Shooter
$9.99
22. An Enquiry Concerning the Principles
$13.62
23. The Great Infidel: A Life of David
24. Works of David Hume. A Treatise
$20.42
25. The Natural History Of Religion
$26.00
26. The Philosophy of David Hume:
$27.55
27. Writings on Economics
$9.99
28. The History of England in Three
$40.45
29. The Secret Connexion: Causation,
$28.99
30. Extraordinary Circumstances: The
$113.09
31. David Hume: A Treatise of Human
$22.33
32. Essays: Moral, Political, and
$31.52
33. David Hume: A Dissertation on
$27.66
34. The Cambridge Companion to Hume
 
$34.45
35. Essays, moral, political and literary
$3.44
36. On Suicide (Penguin Great Ideas)
$26.99
37. Knowledge, Reason, and Taste:
$10.75
38. A Treatise Of Human Nature - Volumes
$29.43
39. Hume: Political Essays (Cambridge
$9.99
40. The History of England in Three

21. Shooter
by David Hume Kennerly
 Hardcover: 269 Pages (1979-10)
list price: US$9.95 -- used & new: US$428.88
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Asin: 0882252658
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Customer Reviews (2)

3-0 out of 5 stars I guess you had to be there.
I read this book on the recommendation of a popular photojournalist because he said that it was a book that really inspired him. I can only say that it didn't strike me as very interesting or inspiring. Maybe that just means that I'm not the photojournalist type. There are some really cool things in here, and as a memoir of someone who dashed into many dangerous situations, apparently without any thought at all, and who had the opportunity of a uniquely close vantage point on an American president there is enough history and excitement to keep you reading.

So what did the book lack, you might wonder? Ideas. When I say that Kennerly apparently dashed into dangerous situations without a thought, I mean his writing literally gives you the impression that he never thought about philosophical or political ideas at all. He didn't even have that much to say about the technical or aesthetic aspects of what makes a photograph good. I guess he was able to get the pictures he got mostly by being there. His whole M.O. seems tohave been putting personal feelings, opinions, fears, scruples and all other ambitions besides taking pictures aside. Nor did he have anything to say about what constituted good journalism. Everything for him seems to have derived from his youthful impression that photographers could go places that were off limits to other people. And so his story is the fulfillment of that; going where others can't or won't, taking a lot of pictures, winning an award for one, and being close to centers of power. Not a thinking-man's book.

And frankly I think it is this vacuum where other men would have thoughts, opinions and convictions that led him to see Gerald Ford as basically a good president. From my vantage point with a little hindsight of history I see his most notable accomplishment to be pardoning Nixon, thus demonstrating that no American president need ever be held accountable for anything.

5-0 out of 5 stars An outstanding book.
Anyone thinking of becoming a free lance Photographer should read this book.The problems that Mr. Kennerly has to overcome as a Photographer can be very edicational to the novice and the experiences he describes willhold the reader to the last page.There is also a generous amount ofphotographs to support the written word. ... Read more


22. An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals
by David Hume
Paperback: 96 Pages (2010-09-22)
list price: US$9.99 -- used & new: US$9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1453846360
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Product Description
David Hume's An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals argues that morals are not based in rational thought, but rather are sentimental endeavors. This text highlights how approval and disapproval can be used to make moral judgments, and how this might elevate certain aspects of society. Hume's book delves into the human psyche and, therefore, aids our understanding of society and life as a whole. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

5-0 out of 5 stars Reason is the slave of the passions
I read this book for a graduate seminar on ethics.Hume's An Enquiry Concerning The Principles Of Morals (EPM)along with his staunch empirical approach to epistemology, has garnered him recognition as a "great skeptic" of the rationalist tradition in philosophy and recognition as the greatest philosopher to write in English.Hume's ethical project is concerned with discovering how people's nature dictates moral behavior and in discovering the moral virtues that society deems useful.Hume separates himself from the classical Greek notion of how an agent acts virtuously when he posits his thesis that people are incapable of using reason to sway their emotions or substantially influence their wills.Hume's theory regarding the process that agents use to act is a departure from the classical Greek model in that it relies on passion and is devoid of the idea of using practical reasoning to overcome feelings of fear to accomplish a noble end.For Hume, only a person's passions can choose their ends, and he denies that reason has the ability to evaluate their ends. Hume's notions on reason vastly contradicts the vast majority of ancient and modern philosophers' beliefs, regarding the amalgamation of human emotion and reason producing the practical reasoning to guide an agent to act.

Hume's anti-rationalist assertion that reason cannot be the major factor producing moral action provides the foundation for his entire ethical theory.In essence, Hume uses a causality argument to explain virtues and vices and what motivates people to make moral choices.Hume argues that what moves people are sentiments of pleasure, such as, pride or love, or pain, such as humility or hatred, as they either observe actions by others or contemplate performing acts of their own.Hume adopts a subjective view to morality.He argues that one cannot use reason or science to deduce "truths" in ethics.Actions are deemed virtuous by a particular society through judgments of approval or distaste of people's sentiments when observing or contemplating a particular action.With this ethical model, Hume posits the notion that there are only two types of virtues, "natural" and "artificial," and that courage is a natural virtue since it brings the pleasurable sentiment of praise and pride to the one who acts courageously.Hume leaves very little if any room for reason to either direct the people will, or even work in conjunction with people passions or emotions to form any kind of practical reasoning a person can rely on to guide them on a path to ethical behavior.

Hume presents a four-point catalogue of sentiments in his EPM that he thinks comprise virtues, and they are similar to Descartes' list of passions.In fact, like Descartes' descriptions of his passions, Hume's descriptions of the virtues are done in a similar vain and take up the bulk of the book.Hume's virtue of courage is found in section seven of the EPM under his third category entitled, Qualities immediately agreeable to ourselves.Hume describes this third category of sentiments as a list of personal merits, "...which is useful or agreeable to the person himself or to others, communicates a pleasure to the spectators, engages his esteem, and is admitted under the honourable denomination of virtue or merit." (EPM, 2. 1. 9. 12). Hume states that, "The utility of COURAGE, both to the public and to the person possessed of it, is an obvious foundation of merit."This opening line in Hume's description is not counter to the classical Greek ideal of courage.(EPM, 2. 1. 7. 11). Hume goes on to state, "But to anyone who duly considers of the matter, it will appear, that this quality has a peculiar luster, which it derives wholly from itself, and from that noble elevation inseparable from it."(EPM, 2. 1. 7. 11).This line in Hume's description describes courage more in line with the ancient Greek notion of courage as depicted in Homer's Iliad.This is borne out in Hume's last line of his description wherein he writes, "Its (courage)figure, drawn by painters and by poets, displays, in each feature, a sublimity and daring confidence; which catches the eye, engages the affections, and diffuses, by sympathy, a like sublimity of sentiment over every spectator." (EPM, 2. 1. 7. 11).

I find it interesting that Hume is the first philosopher since the classical Greeks to recognize, whether for good or bad, the influence the arts play on people's passions and its effects on their actions; particularly in regards to the virtue of courage.In addition, Hume, who during his lifetime enjoyed a reputation as a historian of great renown, uses examples from history to explain in his EPM how the virtue of courage has favorably worked on people's passions.For example, he writes that, "The martial temper of the Romans, enflamed by continual wars, had raised their esteem of courage so high, that, in their language, it was called virtue, by way of excellence and distinction from all other moral qualities."(EPM, 2. 1. 7. 13). Once again, Hume addresses artistic influence in undeveloped cultures, including the Homeric era in Greece, "...who have not, as yet, had full experience of the advantages attending beneficence, justice, and the social virtues, courage is the predominant excellence; what is most celebrated by poets, recommended by parents, and instructors, and admired by the public in general."EPM, 134, (EPM, 2. 1. 7. 15). Even classical Greek philosophers commented on this phenomenon.Aristotle in his Poetics, observes and accepts the notion that the depiction of tragic heroes on stage greatly influences the Greek understanding of courage.On the other hand, Plato, in his Republic, railed against Greek tragedy as a pernicious influence arguing that Greeks should be influenced by reason and not their passions.This is why Plato was so careful to point out that the Guardians of the city had to be taught the right type of literature to develop their courage.

Hume's historically rich description of the virtue of courage and how it is a virtue of passion with little if any influence from reason, shows the evolutionary change for the virtue of courage is a stark break from all the previous philosophers.'.Hume leaves very little if any room for reason to either direct the people will, or even work in conjunction with people passions or emotions to form any kind of practical reasoning a person can rely on to guide them on a path to ethical behavior.

5-0 out of 5 stars Start Here
I've always been conflicted about reviewing "classic" books on Amazon.Do I give Plato 3 stars because parts of "The Republic" are goofy?Is Marx "dry and boring" because long stretches of "Capital" are difficult?Is it necessary to point out that Dostoyevsky is a powerful writer?It all seems crazy -- but then isn't it crazy for a middle-aged bureaucrat who reads books in his spare time to be "reviewing" the giants at all?Of course it is.

Accordingly, I'll keep these comments short.The bottomline about "An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals" is that it's a great place to begin a study of philosophical ethics.It's short, clear, and droll.It analyzes key ethical concepts such as utility, sympathy, justice, and altruism.Most importantly, its argument can be followed by the average reader without extra commentary or exegesis. (I almost called it "smart," too -- but surely we can take that for granted.Everything Hume wrote was smart.)

Hume's approach to ethics is naturalistic, not metaphysical or religious.He sees ethical beliefs as rooted in utility and instinctive sympathy.These beliefs aren't "true" like the truths of math, and they don't bind people in any logical sense.Yet they are inescapable in personal life, necessary for social peace, and as natural as sex.There are other ways to see ethics, but Hume's way at least avoids jargon and recondite arguments.He gets his readers to think -- and that's why his book is such a great entry point.It's also a great read!

'Nuff said.

3-0 out of 5 stars Disappointed with the production of the book
I expected more from the production of the book. Yes, it contains the complete text of "An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals," but:
1. There is nothing else, not even a page giving the year in which David Hume first published it.
2. There are numerous formatting errors. For example, in several places a paragraph is broken in the middle of a sentence.
3. Footnotes are put in the body of the text rather than at the bottom of the page.

On the other hand:
1. A decent sized font has been used, so the text is easy to read.
2. The book is printed on high quality paper.

In retrospect, I wish I had bought a book with an editor's introduction.

3-0 out of 5 stars Of Two Minds
Hume treats of morals in two distinct fashions. His major and last contribution is his "Enquiry," which was written late in his life; the other is Part III of his "Treatise on Human Nature," which was written much earlier in life. The two treatments are very different, and of the two, I much prefer the latter, as it is "demonstrated" a posteriori that man has a "natural inclincation" to maximize pleasure and to avoid pain. Besed on this natural inclination, humans endeavor to do those things that produce happiness, pride, joy, etc., because it maximizes pleasure, whereas humans endeavor to avoid those things that produce uneasiness, disturbances, misery, etc., because those things produce pain. From this a posteriori of natural inclinations, Hume explores the reasons why some things count as virtures (because they maximize pleasure), while some things count as vices (because they produce pain).

His "Enquiry," however, takes an altogether different approach, one based on the sentiments of utility and beneficence. Here humans do things that maximize their usefulness to themselves and to society that concomitantly bring beneficence. Those sentiments that are distinguished in natural language such as dexterity, perserverance, chastity, endurance, honesty, etc., count as virtues because they are "useful," while those that produce in natural language such things as sloth, lethargy, dishonesty, misery, etc., count as vice because they are "not useful." Our language itself is the measure of their untility.

The two theories, juxtaposed, are not at odds with each other, but definitely have distinctively different aetiologies. What I prefer about the "Treatise" is that one can infer the logical necessity of "natural inclinations" (dare I say "instinct") to maximize pleasure and avoid pain. This seems indisputably true empirically. Morals are indeed an a posteriori part of the human constitution. All the virtues and vices derived from this single principle have a solid foundation in human nature itself. Conversely, to merely posit that virtues and vices are merely sentiments according to their "utility" is less grounded in the person's natural inclinations, and is something one observes about human behavior in general.

Which approach will the reader prefer? That's difficult to determine, which is a good reason to read both the "Treatise" and the "Enquiry." As I already mentioned, they are not at odds with each other, they just have different starting points. Personally, the approach in the "Treatise" appeals because it starts with a intrinsic feature of what it is to be human, i.e., it seems to have a stronger foundation and logically inferred consequences from observances. Yet, the approach in the "Enquiry" is more vivacious, but is less grounded, because it is merely posits observances of ephemeral conditions that continually change from time to time and from culture to culture. If one wants to affirm that morals do have a solid foundation in human nature, you'll probably prefer the "Treatise," but if one wants to affirm that morals are merely "preferences" built into our natural language that differ from culture to culture and from time to time, you'll probably prefer the "Enquiry." Either way, however, they take us away from pie-in-the-sky metaphysical speculations!

5-0 out of 5 stars A Humane and Optimistic Account of Morality
Hume, for most people, is largely defined by his work in metaphysics and epistemology.There's no doubt that his work in these areas is of signal importance, but I think a tendency to focus on these areas at the expense of his moral thinking suggests a somewhat misleading interpretation of what he's up to.It's really only in his non-moral works that the picture of Hume as a radical skeptic has much plausibility. For here it seems clear that Hume's primary aim in his moral works is to ground his philosophical theses in a careful consideration of human nature; and it's also clear that he doesn't intend this to be a skeptical and debunking account of morality.

Now, it's true that there are ways in which Hume is skeptical about a certain way of thinking about the origin and nature of morality.The fact that he thinks morality is based in human sentiments show that he is, in some sense, a subjectivist about morality.He doesn't think there is any plausible account of our moral thinking as based on reason or empirical inquiry alone.Against the view that our awareness of moral distinctions is based on the exercise of reason, he argues that we do not figure out whether a person is virtuous or vicious, or an action good or bad, simply by thinking about things.And against the view that our awareness of moral distinctions is empirical, he argues that we do not figure out which things possess which moral qualities by going out and looking or by anything else of this sort.Morality, then, is more a matter of feeling than a matter of thinking, observing, and reasoning.

Hume's basic argument for the conclusion that morality is based on human sentiment is that the essential practicality of morality requires us to understand its basis in this way.Morality is about action, and neither reasoning nor ordinary empirical inquiry can be the source of our moral thinking since they are impotent to prompt us to action.Reason does not motivate, and our moral judgments, concerns, sentiments are intimately connected to motivation.Nor does recognition of the empirical facts motivate all on its own.Motivation always requires the existence of certain conative states in addition to the relevant beliefs arrived at through reason and empirical inquiry.So, in order to account for the practicality of morality (i.e. for the connection between morality and motivation), we need something to make us care about moral goodness and badness; and that something is to be found within the emotional part of our nature.

But, importantly, Hume doesn't think this is indicative of some problem with morality, and so he doesn't understand himself to be undermining ordinary morality.His aim is to expose the groundless pretensions of reason in order to make room for a wholly naturalistic account morality; it's not to show that morality doesn't have a firm basis.For he does not think that morality would ideally be based on reason and empirical evidence rather than sentiment.Rather, he thinks there is a sort of philosophical overreaching involved in trying to base morality on reason or empirical evidence as opposed to sentiment.

So far, so good.But what is the relevant sentiment? According to Hume, it is a general sort of benevolence, of concern for others.At least where our own interests do not intrude on this feeling, we can take pleasure in the pleasure of others and we can be disturbed and pained by their pains and difficulties.Our possessing such a feeling does not mean that we'll always set aside our own interest in the interest of others; nor does it mean that we are not largely self-interested.It does, however, mean that we're not wholly self-interested, as we are motivated to do (and not do) certain things even when they do not affect our own interests and desires.Such a feeling, Hume argues, must be the basis for the sort of general and unselfish concern for welfare of others that morality requires of us.And since this sentiment is a common component of human nature, it provides morality with a non-parochial basis.The moral point of view, Hume argues, is one we take up when our sentiments and feelings about people and actions are based on a shared perspective based in human nature.And since we share similar sentiments and sensibilities in virtue of our shared nature, morality possesses a sort of intersubjectivity.

But what inspires these sentiments, and how exactly do they translate into moral judgments?Morality, Hume argues, is based on sentiments of approbation and disapprobation that are prompted by a recognition of the connection between human actions, dispositions, etc. and what is in the best interest of oneself and of mankind in general.What we take to be virtues, Hume argues, are those dispositions that lead a person to perform actions tending to promote his own happiness and the happiness of others, whereas vices are dispositions that do the opposite.And this allows us to see the source of Hume's optimism.For it is his view that being moral is in our own interest, and in the interest of others.The morally good person is one whose actions are for the good of himself and for the good of others, and this is why we approve of such people.This is why we find them pleasant, why we enjoy their company, and why we think it's a good thing to be virtuous.So this is anything but a dark, self-denying account of morality and our moral obligations.Morality is not a set of chains holding us back from realizing ourselves, from expressing our true nature.Given what our nature is actually like, Hume claims, there is no need to understand morality as involving self-abnegation for nothing more than self-abnegation's sake.

If I had to recommend a single book in moral philosophy to the general reader, I suppose it would be this one.There may be greater works of moral philosophy--Kant's works and Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, for instance--but those are works for the philosopher and this is a book for everyone.It's wise, accessible, inspiring, beautifully written, occasionally quite funny, and largely convincing. ... Read more


23. The Great Infidel: A Life of David Hume
by Roderick Graham
Paperback: 448 Pages (2006-07-03)
list price: US$18.95 -- used & new: US$13.62
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Asin: 1841585203
Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars
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Product Description
Library shelves groan under the weight of academic critiques of David Hume's philosophy and in-depth studies of his political economy. This book, however, is not one of those scholastic tomes. Rather, this is the story of the life of the famous philosopher, one of Scotland's greatest men.

Through Hume's life, we are shown the Enlightenment from its roots, through its sometimes difficult growth to its flowering in eighteenth-century Edinburgh. Using original sources, some for the first time, we witness Hume's disappointment with the reception of his Treatise of Human Nature - it fell deadborn from the press' - although it is now seen as a pivotal work in European thinking, and follow his adventures during a farcical invasion of France. His Essays and History at last brought him the fame he had sought, but also caused the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland to attempt to excommunicate him. The accusation that Hume was an atheist is disproved while, more light-heartedly, his time as a diplomat shows him at the heart of the gossip of pre-Revolutionary Paris, where he was Le Bon David'.

Back in Edinburgh, James Boswell nicknamed him The Great Infidel' yet, like everyone else, sought invitations to Hume's well-stocked table and wine cellar. Hume never married, although he was always a favourite with the ladies for whist and conversation, and he was involved in a preposterous courtship in Turin. He also had a lengthy intellectual involvement with a married aristocrat who was already another man's mistress. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

3-0 out of 5 stars Hume deserves better
The content is so difficult to access in this ponderously written text. For a biographer and an historian (which presumably the author is) to use so many suppositions is appalling. The first three chapters abound with unsupportable statements such as 'David probably thought...', 'he must have felt...' , 'his family undoubtedly...' . It is a real battle to wade through this book and I only did so because I was desperate to know about Hume. ... Read more


24. Works of David Hume. A Treatise of Human Nature, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, The Natural ... Concerning Natural Religion(mobi)
by David Hume
Kindle Edition: Pages (2008-12-11)
list price: US$3.99
Asin: B001NKFWMW
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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This is an electronic edition of the complete essays complemented by author biography. This book features the table of contents linked to every book, part, chapter and footnote. The book was designed for optimal navigation on the Kindle, PDA, Smartphone, and other electronic readers. It is formatted to display on all electronic devices including the Kindle, Smartphones and other Mobile Devices with a small display.

Table of Contents

A Treatise of Human Nature (1739-40)
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (1748)
An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals (1751)
The Natural History of Religion (1757)
Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779)

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5-0 out of 5 stars Highly entertaining corpus of essays
Works of David Hume. A Treatise of Human Nature, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, The Natural ... Published by MobileReference (mobi)

This ebook contains the collecton of essays by the great Scottish philosopher and historian, on everything from public credit to delicacy of taste. This is a very good, thought provoking prose that I thoroughly enjoyed. ... Read more


25. The Natural History Of Religion
by David Hume
Hardcover: 50 Pages (2010-05-23)
list price: US$30.95 -- used & new: US$20.42
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Asin: 1161471774
Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars
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The only point of theology, in which we shall find a consent of mankind almost universal, is, that there is invisible, intelligent power in the world: But whether this power be supreme or subordinate, whether confined to one being; or distributed among several, what attributes, qualities, connexions, or principles of action ought to be ascribed to those beings, concerning all these points, there is the widest difference in the popular systems of theology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

1-0 out of 5 stars The Natural History of Religion
Good for the price paid. Shipping was slow however. Part of the inside was cut out were the copyright information is. Needed for a paper. Now that I'm done with it I'll try to re-sell it on my own.

4-0 out of 5 stars Important Complement to the Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
This important essay is part of Hume's devastating criticism of religious belief.The other crucial components are the better known Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion and the On Miracles Section of the Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding.Ideally, it would be best to read all these together, a relatively easy task as the individual essays are relatively short and contain some of Hume's clearest and most entertaining writing.In Natural History, Hume examines the essentially irrational character of religious belief, with its foundation in human anxieties and the human tendency to personify human characteristics in the natural world.Hume goes on to describe the emergence of monotheism not as a rational process based on a philosophic appreciation of the necessity of accepting the existence of a Designer (an argument he will demolish in the Dialogues) but on the further extension of human irrationality.In a typically ironic approach, Hume then argues that polytheism is more likely to produce social benefits than monotheism and argues strongly against the idea that religion is actually useful for cultivating true morality.Among other things, Natural History exhibits Hume's remarkable command of classical literature and his incisive writing style. ... Read more


26. The Philosophy of David Hume: With a New Introduction by Don Garrett
by Norman Kemp Smith, Don Garrett
Paperback: 608 Pages (2005-04-02)
list price: US$38.00 -- used & new: US$26.00
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1403915075
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Product Description

Norman Kemp Smith's The Philosophy of David Hume continues to be unsurpassed in its comprehensive coverage of the ideas and issues of Hume's Treatise. Now, after years of waiting, this currently out-of-print and highly sought-after classic is being re-issued.This ground-breaking book has long been regarded as a classic study by scholars in the field, yet a new introduction by Don Garrett places the book in its contemporary context, showing Humes's continuing importance in the field.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

5-0 out of 5 stars I recommend
I have got this book not so long and i have just received in very good state. I recommend for every Hume`s researcher

5-0 out of 5 stars Foundation for modern Hume studies
Norman Kemp Smith's work was, and is, deservedly a watershed in Hume's studies. While philosophy has moved on in its estimate and understanding of David Hume and his philosophy, Kemp Smith's work is clearly the fountainhead--whether one agrees or not with his essential view of Hume's epistemology/ anthropology.One either agrees with Kemp Smith and moves on--or one disagrees with Kemp Smith and then moves on.There is no ignoring him and even though this study was completed in the early 20th century it continues its impact today.Kemp Smith's acheivement here is important not simply because it is a good book, but because he is a patient exegete of the philosophy of Hume, carefully reading and rereading everything by and about Hume until the thesis presents itself to him.That precision and patience is worth learning from.Building upon his two articles in the philosophy journal "Mind" in 1905, Kemp Smith continued to reflect upon Hume's philosophy and its forebears who might have been influential to Hume's thought.We have been given in this study a book that others would do well to emulate.While many books have been written about Hume in the interim between the publication of this book in the 1940's and now, there are few who bring such intellectual integrity to their reading and explication of Hume.Kemp Smith's book was and is foundational and fundamental in understanding Hume the philosopher--to use Kuhn's language of paradigms--its heuristic nature is beyond question.As a model it held tremendous sway. It continues to do so. It presents a careful argument that is a model of precision, of scholarly acumen, and intellectual brilliance, and of a careful, painstaking, thoughtful reading and interpretation. One will not only learn about David Hume and his thought, but also about the "reading," the "doing," and the "writing" of philosophy from Kemp Smith's achievement.A must read!

5-0 out of 5 stars First-Rate Commentary
Just how important is David Hume? He's the first modern empirical psychologist who anticipates William James by a century. He's also the first modern philosopher to extol experience alone as paramount to understanding human behavior as the first in the long line of Pragmatic philosophers. He's also the first modern philosopher to employ exclusively the scientific method of Francis Bacon and Isaac Newton as paradigmatic. He's the second (after Francis Hutcheson) to instantiate a naturalist and intuitionist ethic known as benevolent or sentimentalist theory. And besides which, he's one of the few major philosophers who is accessible to the general public.

But as accessible as Hume is, it's always helpful to have a reliable commentary to bring out the subtle nuances of a particular philosopher. Thus was A. E. Taylor to Plato, J. H. Randall to Aristotle, Brian Davies to Thomas Aquinas, and Norman Kemp Smith to David Hume. Written in the first-third of the 20thC., this artful and insightful commentary on Hume's basic writings, especially of Hume's "Treatise on Human Nature," is indispensable. Long out of print, Macmillan has corrected the deficit and reissued this important study that covers the antecedents, writings, and subsequent influence of David Hume.

Kemp's thesis is that one cannot understand Hume's project without first understanding Hume's moral epistemology and the ascendent influence of Hutcheson in forming it. Ironically, Hume's moral epistemology isn't made manifest until Part III of his youthful "Treatise," after dealing first with cognition and second the passions. Hume's method is entirely pragmatic in that experience alone, as opposed to a priori speculation, or even induction, is the sole means of understanding human cognition, belief, passions, and morals. Kemp also illustrates Hume's extreme method to avoid both dogmatism and skepticism, the two horns of the philosophers' dilemma that produce a quixotic approach that is uniquely Hume's. Consequently, Kemp's interpretation of Hume comes across as less an empricist and more rigorously a populizer of the "vulgar" in a non-philosophical sense. The only substantive subject Kemp omits is Hume's criticism of religion as superstition, but this omission is somewhat obvious and trivial in light of its natural consequence of Hume's overall experientialist, non-ratiocinative project.

Kemp's style, clarity, and incisiveness match his subject's. He spent thirty years pondering David Hume's thought and writings, and it wasn't until his insight about Hume's moral epistemology that everything came together for him as a coherent whole. And as tendentious as Kemp's thesis is, it's fully documented and carefully executed, so that even the skeptic must concede Kemp's invaluable contribution. Still, the omission concerning the "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion" is lamentable, if only because it is of particular importance to Hume's experientialist project. An excellent alternative and complementary commentary, "Cognition and Commitment: Hume's Philosophy," by Dan Garrett is a more current, and a very different, approach. Both are very highly recommended. ... Read more


27. Writings on Economics
by David Hume
Paperback: 335 Pages (2007-06-30)
list price: US$39.95 -- used & new: US$27.55
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28. The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.I., Part E. - From Charles I. to Cromwell
by David Hume
Paperback: 428 Pages (2010-07-12)
list price: US$9.99 -- used & new: US$9.99
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Asin: B003XYE50Q
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The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.I., Part E. - From Charles I. to Cromwell is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by David Hume is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of David Hume then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more


29. The Secret Connexion: Causation, Realism, and David Hume (Clarendon Paperbacks)
by Galen Strawson
Paperback: 312 Pages (1992-08-27)
list price: US$50.00 -- used & new: US$40.45
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Asin: 0198240384
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It is widely supposed that David Hume invented and espoused the "regularity" theory of causation, holding that causal relations are nothing but a matter of one type of thing being regularly followed by another.It is also widely supposed that he was not only right about this, but that it was one of his greatest contributions to philosophy. Strawson here argues that the regularity theory of causation is indefensible, and that Hume never adopted it in any case. Strawson maintains that Hume did not claim that causation in the natural world is just a matter of regular succession, that such a dogmatic metaphysical claim about the nature of reality would have been utterly contrary to his fundamental philosophical principles, and that he rightly took it for granted that there was more to causation than regularity of succession, claiming only that regularity of succession was all that we could ever know of causation. ... Read more


30. Extraordinary Circumstances: The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford
by David Hume Kennerly, Richard Norton Smith
Hardcover: 232 Pages (2007-10-01)
list price: US$49.95 -- used & new: US$28.99
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Asin: 0976669714
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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"I assume the presidency under extraordinary circumstances."--President Gerald R. Ford, August 9, 1974Gerald R. Ford stepped into the American presidency during a constitutional crisis that many believed was the country's worst since the Civil War. Extraordinary Circumstances is a stunning collection of behind-closed-doors images by President Ford's personal photographer, David Hume Kennerly. Seen here are intimate scenes of the inner workings of the White House; Ford's family and much-beloved wife Betty; and many of the twentieth-century's most compelling and elusive figures, including Queen Elizabeth II, Leonid Brezhnev, Emperor Hirohito, Deng Xioping, Anwar Sadat, Yitzhak Rabin, Richard Nixon, Andy Warhol, and George Harrison. The book follows Gerald Ford from the day President Nixon appointed him as vice president through the tumultuous early crises of his presidency, including his controversial pardon of Nixon, the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam, and his wife Betty's breast cancer, to the end of his presidency after losing to Jimmy Carter. Adding depth and perspective to the photos are excerpts from exclusive interviews with President Ford, President Jimmy Carter, President George H. W. Bush, Henry Kissinger, Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Cheney, Alan Greenspan, and other prominent members of the Ford administration. Extraordinary Circumstances is sponsored and published by the Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin, the home of the David Hume Kennerly Photographic Archive. It features an introduction by NBC's Tom Brokaw and an overview of Ford's life by famed historian Richard Norton Smith. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

5-0 out of 5 stars A True Insiders View
D.H. Kennerly asked President Ford that he (Kennerly) answer only to the President regarding his job as White House Photographer.Ford agreed and thus gave us a book of photographs unlike any you will ever see of a President in office.Enough Said.

Great quality printing and some nice written commentary and captions.A great addition to anyone interested in political photography or presidential history.

5-0 out of 5 stars The best Presidential photo-biography I've ever seen - stunning!
This book showcases some of David Hume Kennerly's best photography of President Ford and others around him at that time.Kennerly is not only a very gifted photographer, but according to "A Time To Heal" by President Ford, Kennerly was like a son to the President, and some senior-level staff members were unhappy that the opinion of this photographer could influence Ford's decision-making.

But that was true.It is clear that Ford and Kennerly did have a very close relationship, and Kennerly was there with his cameras every step of the way, making history through recording history.It is obvious when considering the wide range of photos here that nobody had more access to Ford than Kennerly.

The layout for this book is like a Life magazine - Kennerly lets the large photos speak for themselves, and only adds relevant background commentary where he feels it is needed.

I would recommend this book to a wide range of people - historians, Presidential buffs, photographers, or even as a gift for someone who was around during Watergate.I gave one to my dad for Christmas, and he was raving about the book to the whole family.He especially liked the candid photo of Nixon (before he resigned).

There is no other book like this on the market, and there never will be any others of this quality, because only Kennerly had the opportunity and has the talent to take pictures like these, and could produce such a high-quality work of art.Thank you for sharing these photos with us, Mr. Kennerly.

5-0 out of 5 stars Shows How Special President Ford Was
I was so excited to finally be able to locate this book. Bookstores did not carry it. Thank you, Amazon, for having it in stock for me to order. The Amazon price was a good savings over the retail costs. The book is much larger in size than I expected but being so, you can better enjoy the details of each photo. This is a special addition to my presidential book collection.

5-0 out of 5 stars One of the best
If you have ever wondered what really goes on at the White House, this is the book to buy. David Kennerly had more access to the inner workings of the White House than any other photographer, before or since. These photos certainly prove it. For any student of history, or photography, this is one book to have on your shelf. As a working photojournalist for 35 years, I have had the pleasure of working beside Kennerly and can say that besides being a great photographer, he is one of the gentlemen of the business, an old-school hero to many an up and coming photographer. Don't miss out on this book.

5-0 out of 5 stars This book should get a Pulizer!!
David Hume-Kennerly is one of the most gifted photojournalists of our generation. He was chosen by Gerald Ford to be the "eyes of the nation on the presidency" after the insanity of paranoia that was Nixon's Whitehouse. This resulted in David becoming a "member" of the Ford family and thus having total access to the reality of The Pardon, The End of The War, and everything else that happened in those short Ford years. (As a fellow Shooter, his was the only job that I was INSANELY jealous of because he was the permanent `fly on the wall'!)

This book shares with us those times and shows us how lucky this country was to have had this strong and honest man at the top when we needed those qualities the most.

I truly hope that DHK is awarded another Pulitzer for this work.

Marshall Darling on The Cape ... Read more


31. David Hume: A Treatise of Human Nature Volume 2: Editorial Material (Clarendon Hume Edition Series)
Hardcover: 624 Pages (2007-06-14)
list price: US$175.00 -- used & new: US$113.09
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Asin: 0199263841
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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David and Mary Norton present the definitive scholarly edition of Hume's Treatise, one of the greatest philosophical works ever written. This second volume contains their historical account of how the Treatise was written and published; an explanation of how they have established the text; an extensive set of annotations which illuminate Hume's texts; and a comprehensive bibliography and index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

5-0 out of 5 stars Reason is the slave of the passions
I read this book for a graduate seminar on ethics.Hume's Treatise of Human Nature along with his staunch empirical approach to epistemology, has garnered him recognition as a "great skeptic" of the rationalist tradition in philosophy and recognition as the greatest philosopher to write in English.Hume's ethical project is concerned with discovering how people's nature dictates moral behavior and in discovering the moral virtues that society deems useful.Hume separates himself from the classical Greek notion of how an agent acts virtuously when he posits his thesis that people are incapable of using reason to sway their emotions or substantially influence their wills."I shall endeavour to prove first, that reason alone can never be a motive to any action of the will; and secondly, that it can never oppose passion in the direction of the will."((T, 2.3.3).Hume's theory regarding the process that agents use to act is a departure from the classical Greek model in that it relies on passion and is devoid of the idea of using practical reasoning to overcome feelings of fear to accomplish a noble end.For Hume, only a person's passions can choose their ends, and he denies that reason has the ability to evaluate their ends.(T, 3.1.1).Hume's notions on reason vastly contradicts the vast majority of ancient and modern philosophers' beliefs, regarding the amalgamation of human emotion and reason producing the practical reasoning to guide an agent to act.

Hume's anti-rationalist assertion that reason cannot be the major factor producing moral action provides the foundation for his entire ethical theory.In essence, Hume uses a causality argument to explain virtues and vices and what motivates people to make moral choices.Hume argues that what moves people are sentiments of pleasure, such as, pride or love, or pain, such as humility or hatred, as they either observe actions by others or contemplate performing acts of their own."In every case, therefore, we must judge of the one by the other; and may pronounce any quality of the mind virtuous, which causes love or pride; and any one vicious, which causes hatred or humility."(T, 3. 3. 1).Hume adopts a subjective view to morality.He argues that one cannot use reason or science to deduce "truths" in ethics.Actions are deemed virtuous by a particular society through judgments of approval or distaste of people's sentiments when observing or contemplating a particular action.With this ethical model, Hume posits the notion that there are only two types of virtues, "natural" and "artificial," and that courage is a natural virtue since it brings the pleasurable sentiment of praise and pride to the one who acts courageously.

Hume leaves very little if any room for reason to either direct the people will, or even work in conjunction with people passions or emotions to form any kind of practical reasoning a person can rely on to guide them on a path to ethical behavior.
... Read more


32. Essays: Moral, Political, and Literary, Volume 1
by David Hume, Thomas Hill Green, Thomas Hodge Grose
Paperback: 518 Pages (2010-03-08)
list price: US$39.75 -- used & new: US$22.33
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Asin: 1146893116
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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more


33. David Hume: A Dissertation on the Passions; The Natural History of Religion (The Clarendon Edition of the Works of David Hume)
Paperback: 456 Pages (2009-11-09)
list price: US$39.00 -- used & new: US$31.52
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Asin: 0199575746
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David Hume (1711-1776) is one of the greatest of philosophers. Today he probably ranks highest of all British philosophers in terms of influence and philosophical standing. His philosophical work ranges across morals, the mind, metaphysics, epistemology, religion, and aesthetics; he had broad interests not only in philosophy as it is now conceived but in history, politics, economics, religion, and the arts. He was a master of English prose.

The Clarendon Hume Edition will include all of his works except his History of England and minor historical writings. It is the only thorough critical edition, and will provide a far more extensive scholarly treatment than any previous editions. This edition (which has been in preparation since the 1970s) offers authoritative annotation, bibliographical information, and indexes, and draws upon the major advances in textual scholarship that have been made since the publication of earlier editions--advances both in the understanding of editorial principle and practice and in knowledge of the history of Hume's own texts.

In this volume, Tom Beauchamp presents two essays from Four Dissertations (1757), the last philosophical work written by Hume, which was subsequently revised by the philosopher in the remaining years of his life. While the bulk of A Dissertation on the Passions was extracted from passages in A Treatise of Human Nature, The Natural History of Religion was an original work when published in 1757, as well as the only major work devoted exclusively to the subject of religion that Hume published in his lifetime. Together with Hume's earlier work on religious topics, this essay drew considerable philosophical commentary from his contemporaries.

The last edition of the two works in this volume seen through the press by Hume himself appeared in 1772. It provides the copy-text for this critical edition. The editor's primarily historical Introduction discusses the genesis, revision, and reception of these two dissertations, which went into ten editions at the author's hand. It will appeal to scholars across many disciplines. ... Read more


34. The Cambridge Companion to Hume (Cambridge Companions to Philosophy)
Paperback: 576 Pages (2008-12-08)
list price: US$32.99 -- used & new: US$27.66
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Asin: 0521677343
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Each Cambridge Companion to a philosophical figure is made up of specially commissioned essays by an international team of scholars, providing students and non-specialists with an introduction to a major philosopher. The series aims to dispel the intimidation that readers may feel when faced with the work of a challenging thinker.David Hume is now considered one of the most important philosophers of the Western world. Although best known for his contributions to the theory of knowledge, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion, Hume also influenced developments in the philosophy of mind, psychology, ethics, political and economic theory, political and social history, and aesthetic theory. The fifteen essays in this volume address all aspects of Hume's thought. The picture of him that emerges is that of a thinker who, though often critical to the point of skepticism, was nonetheless able to build on that skepticism a constructive, viable, and profoundly important view of the world. Also included in this volume are Hume's two brief autobiographies and a bibliography suited to those beginning their study of Hume. This second edition of one our most popular Companions includes six new essays and a new introduction, and the remaining essays have all been updated or revised.Amazon.com Review
David Hume's mother reportedly lamented, "Our Davie is a finegood-natured critter, but uncommon weak-minded." Perhaps she wouldhave been comforted to know that today her son is widely considered tobe the most important philosopher ever to have written in the Englishlanguage. The Companion's 11 essays take the reader from Hume'sprecocious Treatise of Human Nature--published in 1739, when hewas only 28--to the posthumously published Dialogues ConcerningNatural Religion, and cover not only the subjects central toHume's philosophy but also his views on politics, economics, literaryand aesthetic theory, and even history. As David Wootton's essayobserves, the British Library catalog identifies Hume as "thehistorian"--"to the puzzlement," Wootton quips, "of generations ofphilosophers." Also included are Hume's two short autobiographies,written in his own inimitable style: he describes the unexcitedreaction to his Treatise by saying that "it fell dead-born fromthe press, without reaching such distinction as even to excite amurmur among the zealots."

The contributors to the Companion are among the most respectedcontemporary Hume scholars; their essays are uniformly clear andaccessible. Robert J. Fogelin's article on Hume's skepticism, KnudHaakonssen's article on Hume's political theory, and J.C.A. Gaskin'sarticle on Hume's philosophy of religion are particularly worthwhile,as is the substantial bibliography. Although the Companion isnot aimed at the specialist, neither is it for the philosophicalnovice--still, anyone interested in Hume's life and work would benefitfrom perusing it. --Glenn Branch ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

3-0 out of 5 stars Amazon's Review...Funny Error
Amazon's review has a funny error.They say Hume's mother said he was "weak-minded."What she said was that he was "wake-minded," which, at the time, meant very bright.I suppose it doesn't affect anyone's desire to read a book such as this, but they couldn't have gotten mother more wrong.

5-0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to Hume
David Hume is a famous if somewhat controversial thinker.His skeptical approach to Philosophical issues created important questions on many vital issues in philosophy, especially concerning religion, metaphysics and epistemology.Hume was also a great historian, political writer, acute psychologist and budding economist, as the later essays in this volume show.As with the other Cambridge Companions, this offers a valuable guide to the thought of Hume with clarity and rigor by leading experts in the field.It is a must read for any student, undergraduate, graduate or lay, of Hume's philosophy or the philosophy of the early modern period.

4-0 out of 5 stars Excellent Compendium
The goal of this collection of essays is to provide background and commentary of important aspects of the work of David Hume. The intent of this book is to provide guidance and context for individuals reading Hume.This book easily exceeds those goals.The authors are all well known experts on Hume and this book covers the whole spectrum of Hume's output from his seminal philosophical works through his essays and historical works.While this is an apparently diverse set of topics, important themes connect the essays.Several essays stress the 'positive' or constructive aspects of Hume's epistemology and theory of mind, an aspect of his thought that recurs strongly in his writings on moral, political, economic, and historical topics.Several essays stress Hume's uniform emphasis on a 'scientific' methodology in approaching many subjects.Overall, this volume gives a strong sense of the underlying unity of Hume's work.All of these essays are at least good.There are particularly good essays by Norton on Hume's work on morals, Hakonsson's on Hume's political theory, Fogelin on Hume's skepticism, Gaskin on Hume's criticism of religion,and an enlightening essay on Hume's work as a historian.The other essays are useful. The high quality of these essays makes this book valuable for a broad audience.It can be read profitably by individuals just exploring Hume and I suspect it would be equally useful for more experienced scholars and teachers.

5-0 out of 5 stars A Small Correction
I have not read this book, though I know it belongs to a series whose productions are excellent and represent the latest scholarship.Having perused the list of scholars who are contributors, I expect the same will be true of this volume.

I only wish to comment on the advertising blurb.I believe that it was Hume's aunt (or great-aunt) who is credited with this quote and what she actually said was that little Davie was "uncommon wake-minded" (meaning unusually bright and curious) not "weak-minded".It is also quite clear that she did not approve of this trait in the young Hume.Many others will no doubt agree with her about this, but certainly no one will think that he was in any way weak-minded.

4-0 out of 5 stars A General Introduction to Hume's Philosophy
The complex and often radical ideas formulated by Scotland's "Man of the Millenuim" are explained clearly and plainly in this companion without neglecting the more difficult issues that will concern students of philsophy. This book is particularly helpful in its discussion of Hume's scepticism and his views on morality and politics. It also provides a concise overview of Hume's empirical psychology. ... Read more


35. Essays, moral, political and literary
by David Hume
 Paperback: 630 Pages (2010-09-11)
list price: US$45.75 -- used & new: US$34.45
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Asin: 1172407185
Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars
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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:ESSAYS.PART I.Essay I.—Of the Delicacy of Taste and Passion.Some People are subject to a certain delicacy of passion, which makes them extremely sensible to all the accidents of life, and gives them a lively joy upon every prosperous event, as well as a piercing grief, when they meet with misfortunes and adversity. Favours and good offices easily engage their friendship ; while the smallest injury provokes their resentment. Any honour or mark of distinction elevates them above measure ; but they are as sensibly touched with contempt. People of this character have, no doubt, more lively enjoyments, as well as more pungent sorrows, than men of cool and sedate tempers : But, I believe, when every thing is balanced, there is no one, who would not rather be of the latter character, were he entirely master of his own disposition. Good or ill fortune is very little at our disposal: And when a person, that has this sensibility of temper, meets with any misfortune, his sorrow or resentment takes entire possession of him, and deprives him of all relish in the common occurrences of life; the right enjoyment of which forms the chief part of our happiness. Great pleasures are much less frequent than great pains; so that a sensible temper must meet with fewer trials in the former way than in the latter. Not to mention, that men of such lively passions are apt to be transported beyond all bounds of prudence and discretion, and to take false steps in the conduct of life, which are often irretrievable.There is a delicacy of taste observable in some men, whichvery much resembles this delicacy of passion, and producea the same sensibility to beauty and deformity of every kind, as that does to prosperity and adversity, obligations and injuries. When you present a poem or a picture to ... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

1-0 out of 5 stars Don't Buy This Edition
The copy of this edition that I received was filled with misprints, including strings of random characters. The essays are not divided up as units; instead, the book is divided into what it calls sections which seem to cut up the material with no particular organizational principle. The titles of the chapters are not even included. And lastly, the footnotes are crammed amidst the text so that it is nearly impossible sometimes to distinguish that they are footnotes. Buy a different edition. (I wanted to give it no stars but Amazon requires that at least one start be given.)

2-0 out of 5 stars Nice Collection. Wish I could read it!
Upon recieving this in the mail, I was so disappointed to see that the entire book is printed in 8 point font. My eyes just can't handle this. It's like reading a 600+ page footnote. The text literally comprises only half the total page area. It's a wonderful collection, but I'm afraid I'll be returning it.

5-0 out of 5 stars The Superior Edition
The Liberty/Classics comprehensive volume is superior to the Oxford edition in every way. The former is a complete compilation, whereas the Oxford edition contain only "selected" essays.

These essays are more in the tradition of Montaigne, Marcus Arelius, and Emerson, to cite some exemplars of the tradition, meaning that these essays are not as logically rigorous as Hume's "Treatise on Human Nature," "Essays Concerning Human Understanding," "Principles of Morals," and "Natural Religion," but are more an astute and empirical observation of what causes pleasure and satisfaction versus what causes discomfort and uneasiness. This emprical motif permeates all the essays.

The "moral" essays are a continuation of Vol. III of his "Treatise on Human Nature," and "Principles of Morals," and contribute to how our "tastes" and "utility," rather than apriori logic, delimit and describe moral ideas and ideals. His "political" essays are the most prominent among the group and are often prescient of subsequent developments, clearly anticipating a more democratic society, but they often come across as antediluvian, despite Hume's analytical dexterity and his compassionate motivation. The "literary" essays are the least in number and the most impotent of his contributions. Not that they lack value or interest, they simply lack novelty or new understanding. All his essays have an empirical bent, which should not surprise anyone familiar with Hume's other works.

Many of these 48 essays have perennial value, while others are clearly cotemporaneous with his time and place (mid-18th century England). In either case, they contribute to our understanding of the period, while making perspicacious observations about subjects that are both endearing and enduring. The LibertyClassics' edition uses current locution and spellings in Caslon 540 typeface on durable, acid-free paper, making Hume's lucid and elegant prose an even more attractive presentation. Highly recommended.

5-0 out of 5 stars A valuable addition to Hume's "Treatise" and his "Enquiries"
The book offers an intersting collection of Hume's minor writing. A must for anyone interested in Hume's philosphy. Nicely printed on acid-free paper the book is good value for money. ... Read more


36. On Suicide (Penguin Great Ideas)
by David Hume
Paperback: 128 Pages (2005-08-25)
list price: US$7.90 -- used & new: US$3.44
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Asin: 0141023953
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Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselvesand each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched livesand destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are. One of the most important thinkers ever to write in English, the Empiricist David Hume liberated philosophy from the superstitious constraints of religion; here, he argues that all are free to choose between life and death, considers the nature of personal taste and succinctly criticises common philosophies of the time. ... Read more


37. Knowledge, Reason, and Taste: Kant's Response to Hume
by Paul Guyer
Hardcover: 288 Pages (2008-01-03)
list price: US$39.50 -- used & new: US$26.99
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Asin: 0691134391
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Immanuel Kant famously said that he was awoken from his "dogmatic slumbers," and led to question the possibility of metaphysics, by David Hume's doubts about causation. Because of this, many philosophers have viewed Hume's influence on Kant as limited to metaphysics. More recently, some philosophers have questioned whether even Kant's metaphysics was really motivated by Hume. In Knowledge, Reason, and Taste, renowned Kant scholar Paul Guyer challenges both of these views. He argues that Kant's entire philosophy--including his moral philosophy, aesthetics, and teleology, as well as his metaphysics--can fruitfully be read as an engagement with Hume.

In this book, the first to describe and assess Hume's influence throughout Kant's philosophy, Guyer shows where Kant agrees or disagrees with Hume, and where Kant does or doesn't appear to resolve Hume's doubts. In doing so, Guyer examines the progress both Kant and Hume made on enduring questions about causes, objects, selves, taste, moral principles and motivations, and purpose and design in nature. Finally, Guyer looks at questions Kant and Hume left open to their successors.

... Read more

38. A Treatise Of Human Nature - Volumes I And II
by David Hume
Paperback: 460 Pages (2009-07-05)
list price: US$11.95 -- used & new: US$10.75
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Asin: 1603862285
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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An Unabridged, Digitally Enhanced Edition Of Both Volumes I And II, And Books I Through III, With An Updated Typeface And Layout, Including, But Not Limited To: BOOK I: Of The Understanding - Of Ideas, Their Origin, Composition, Connexion, Abstraction, Etc. - Of The Origin Of Our Ideas - Division Of The Subject - Of The Ideas Of The Memory And Imagination - Of The Connection Or Association Of Ideas - Of Relations - Of Modes And Substances - Of Abstract Ideas - Of The Ideas Of Space And Time - Of The Infinite Divisibility Of Our Ideas Of Space And Time - Of The Infinite Divisibility Of Space And Time - Of The Other Qualities Of Our Idea Of Space And Time - Objections Answered - The Same Subject Continued - Of The Idea Of Existence, And Of External Existence - Of Knowledge And Probability - Of Knowledge - Of Probability, And Of The Idea Of Cause And Effect - Why A Cause Is Always Necessary - Of The Component Parts Of Our Reasonings Concerning Cause And Effect - Of The Impressions Of The Senses And Memory - Of The Inference From The Impression To The Idea - Of The Nature Of The Idea Or Belief - Of The Causes Of Belief - Of The Effects Of Other Relations And Other Habits - Of The Influence Of Belief - Of The Probability Of Chances - Of The Probability Of Causes - Of Unphilosophical Probability - Of The Idea Of Necessary Connection - Rules By Which To Judge Of Causes And Effects - Of The Reason Of Animals - Of The Skeptical And Other Systems Of Philosophy - Of Skepticism With Regard To Reason - Of Skepticism With Regard To The Senses - Of The Ancient Philosophy - Of The Modern Philosophy - Of The Immateriality Of The Soul - Of Personal Identity - BOOK II: Of The Passions - Of Pride And Humility - Division Of The Subject - Of Pride And Humility, Their Objects And Causes - Whence These Objects And Causes Are Derived - Of The Relations Of Impressions And Ideas - Of The Influence Of These Relations On Pride And Humility - Limitations Of This System - Of Vice And Virtue - Of Beauty And Deformity - Of External Advantages And Disadvantages - Of Property And Riches - Of The Love Of Fame - Of The Pride And Humility Of Animals - Of Love And Hatred - Of The Object And Causes Of Love And Hatred - Experiments To Confirm This System - Difficulties Solved - Of The Love Of Relations - Of Our Esteem For The Rich And Powerful - Of Benevolence And Anger - Of Compassion - Of Malice And Envy - Of The Mixture Of Benevolence And Anger With Compassion And Malice - Of Respect And Contempt - Of The Amorous Passion, Or Love Betwixt The Sexes - Of The Love And Hatred Of Animals - Of The Will And Direct Passions - Of Liberty And Necessity - The Same Subject Continued - Of The Influencing Motives Of The Will - Of The Causes Of The Violent Passions - Of The Effects Of Custom - Of The Influence Of The Imagination On The Passions - Of Contiguity And Distance In Space And Time - The Same Subject Continued - Of The Direct Passions - Of Curiosity, Or The Love Of Truth - BOOK III: Of Morals - Of Virtue And Vice In General - Moral Distinctions Not Derived From Reason - Moral Distinctions Derived From A Moral Sense - Of Justice And Injustice - Justice, Whether A Natural Or Artificial Virtue? - Of The Origin Of Justice And Property - Of The Rules Which Determine Property - Of The Transference Of Property By Consent - Of The Obligation Of Promises - Some Farther Reflections Concerning Justice And Injustice - Of The Origin Of Government - Of The Source Of Allegiance - Of The Measures Of Allegiance - Of The Objects Of Allegiance - Of The Laws Of Nations - Of Chastity And Modesty - Of The Other Virtues And Vices - Of The Origin Of The Natural Virtues And Vices - Of Greatness Of Mind - Of Goodness And Benevolence - Of Natural Abilities - Some Farther Reflections Concerning The Natural Virtues - Appendix To The Treatise Of Human Nature ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

5-0 out of 5 stars Reason is the slave of the passions
I read this book for a graduate seminar on ethics.Hume's Treatise of Human Nature along with his staunch empirical approach to epistemology, has garnered him recognition as a "great skeptic" of the rationalist tradition in philosophy and recognition as the greatest philosopher to write in English.Hume's ethical project is concerned with discovering how people's nature dictates moral behavior and in discovering the moral virtues that society deems useful.Hume separates himself from the classical Greek notion of how an agent acts virtuously when he posits his thesis that people are incapable of using reason to sway their emotions or substantially influence their wills."I shall endeavour to prove first, that reason alone can never be a motive to any action of the will; and secondly, that it can never oppose passion in the direction of the will."((T, 2.3.3).Hume's theory regarding the process that agents use to act is a departure from the classical Greek model in that it relies on passion and is devoid of the idea of using practical reasoning to overcome feelings of fear to accomplish a noble end.For Hume, only a person's passions can choose their ends, and he denies that reason has the ability to evaluate their ends.(T, 3.1.1).Hume's notions on reason vastly contradicts the vast majority of ancient and modern philosophers' beliefs, regarding the amalgamation of human emotion and reason producing the practical reasoning to guide an agent to act.

Hume's anti-rationalist assertion that reason cannot be the major factor producing moral action provides the foundation for his entire ethical theory.In essence, Hume uses a causality argument to explain virtues and vices and what motivates people to make moral choices.Hume argues that what moves people are sentiments of pleasure, such as, pride or love, or pain, such as humility or hatred, as they either observe actions by others or contemplate performing acts of their own."In every case, therefore, we must judge of the one by the other; and may pronounce any quality of the mind virtuous, which causes love or pride; and any one vicious, which causes hatred or humility."(T, 3. 3. 1).Hume adopts a subjective view to morality.He argues that one cannot use reason or science to deduce "truths" in ethics.Actions are deemed virtuous by a particular society through judgments of approval or distaste of people's sentiments when observing or contemplating a particular action.With this ethical model, Hume posits the notion that there are only two types of virtues, "natural" and "artificial," and that courage is a natural virtue since it brings the pleasurable sentiment of praise and pride to the one who acts courageously.

Hume leaves very little if any room for reason to either direct the people will, or even work in conjunction with people passions or emotions to form any kind of practical reasoning a person can rely on to guide them on a path to ethical behavior.
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39. Hume: Political Essays (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought)
by David Hume
Paperback: 416 Pages (1994-08-26)
list price: US$32.99 -- used & new: US$29.43
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0521466393
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Editorial Review

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David Hume is commonly known as one of the greatest philosophers to write in English. He was also one of the foremost political and economic theorists and one of the finest historians of the eighteenth century. His political essays reflect the entire range of his intellectual engagement with politics--as political philosophy, political observation and political history--and function as an extension of and supplement to works such as his Treatise of Human Nature and his History of England. The twenty-seven most important essays are presented in this fully annotated edition, together with excerpts from the History of England that point up their context. ... Read more


40. The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.I., Part C. - From Henry VII. to Mary
by David Hume
Paperback: 352 Pages (2010-07-12)
list price: US$9.99 -- used & new: US$9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: B003YJFOF0
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Editorial Review

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The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.I., Part C. - From Henry VII. to Mary is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by David Hume is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of David Hume then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more


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