This text introduces David Hume's philosophy to a European culture. It presents challenging views about the limited powers of human understanding, the attractions of scepticism, the compatibility of free will and determinism, and weaknesses in the foundations of religion.
Tom Beauchamp presents a new edition, designed especially for the student reader, of
An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding, the classic work in which David Hume gave a general exposition of his philosophy to a broad educated readership. An authoritative new version of the text is preceded by a substantial introduction explaining the historical and intellectual background to the work and surveying its main themes. The volume also includes detailed explanatory notes on the text, a glossary of terms, and a section of supplementary readings.
Oxford Philosophical Texts Series Editor: John Cottingham
The Oxford Philosophical Texts series consists of authoritative teaching editions of canonical texts in the history of philosophy from the ancient world down to modern times. Each volume provides a clear, well laid out text together with a comprehensive introduction by a leading specialist, giving the student detailed critical guidance on the intellectual context of the work and the structure and philosophical importance of the main arguments. Endnotes are supplied which provide further commentary on the arguments and explain unfamiliar references and terminology, and a full bibliography and index are also included.
The series aims to build up a definitive corpus of key texts in the Western philosophical tradition, which will form a reliable and enduring resource for students and teachers alike.
David Hume's aim in writing
An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding (1748) was to introduce his philosophy to a European culture in which many educated people read original works of philosophy. He gives an elegant and accessible presentation of strikingly original and challenging views about the limited powers of human understanding, the attractions of scepticism, the compatibility of free will and determinism, and weaknesses in the foundations of religion. Hume's philosophy was highly controversial in the eighteenth century and remains so today.
The text printed in this edition is that of the Clarendon critical edition of Hume's works. A substantial introduction by the editor explains the intellectual background to the work and surveys its main themes. The volume also includes detailed explanatory notes on the text, a glossary of terms, a full list of references, and a section of supplementary readings.
- Part 1: Introductory Material
- How to Use this Book
- List of Abbreviations
- Editor's Introduction
- 1: Life and Early Publishing History
- 2: Cultural and Intellectual Background
- 3: Two General Features of Hume's Philosophy
- 4: Philosophy of Mind
- 5: Epistemology
- 6: Metaphysics
- 7: Philosophy of Religion
- 8: Scepticism
- Supplementary Reading
- The Text Printed in this Edition
- Part 2: The Text
- An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding
- 1: Of the Different Species of Philosophy
- 2: Of the Origin of Ideas
- 3: Of the Association of Ideas
- 4: Sceptical Doubts concerning the Operations of the Understanding
- 5: Sceptical Solution of these Doubts
- 6: Of Probability
- 7: Of the Idea of Necessary Connexion
- 8: Of Liberty and Necessity
- 9: Of the Reason of Animals
- 10: Of Miracles
- 11: Of a Particular Providence and of a Future State
- 12: Of the Academical or Sceptical Philosophy
- Part 3: Supplementary Material
- Annotations to the Enquiry
- Glossary
- References
- Index
Tom Beauchamp has produced two excellent editions, which will remain the standard editions of both Enquiries for years to come. An enormous amount of research has gone into this edition. . . Tom Beauchamp [has given] thirty years of devotion to the writings of Hume brought to . . . a splendid conclusion, . . . Beauchamp has attended to "the extreme Accuracy of Style" that Hume demanded and has produced reliable texts of the two enquires, edited to the highest standards. O. M. Brack, Eighteenth-Century Scotland
David Hume war Philosoph und Ökonom. Er lebte in Edinburgh und London und gilt als bedeutender Vordenker der Aufklärung.
Klappentext
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.
Now one of the most widely read works in philosophy, David Hume's An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding (1748) introduced his philosophy to a broad educated readership. In it he gives an elegant an accessible presentation of strikingly original and challenging views about the limited powers
of human understanding, the attractions of skepticism, the compatibility of free will and determinism, and weaknesses in the foundations of religion. In this volume, an authoritative new version of the text is enhanced by detailed explanatory notes, a glossary of terms, a full list of references,
and a section of supplementary readings.
