Reading Hume on Human Understanding
Essays on the First Enquiry
Published on 14. March 2002
Book
Hardback
512 pages
978-0-19-875211-0 (ISBN)
Description
Reading Hume on Human Understanding is a companion to the study of one of the great works of Western philosophy. David Hume's Enquiry concerning Human Understanding (1748) has long been recognized as one of the best 'classics' for introducing students to the subject; these essays, most of them specially written for this volume, show how much more than this it is. The aims of the volume are: to provide a general overview of the Enquiry, especially for those approaching it for the first time; to set it in the context of Hume's philosophical work as a whole and establish its importance in that context: to elucidate, analyse, and assess the philosophy of the Enquiry, and clarify its interpretation; and to discuss recent developments in Hume scholarship that are relevant to the Enquiry. The eminent contributors to this volume cover a broad range of topics: meaning, induction, scepticism, belief, personal identity, causation, freedom, miracles, probability, and religious belief. These topics remain at the centre of philosophical debate today, and Hume's treatment of them in the Enquiry continues to demand attention and attract controversy.
Reviews / Votes
In sum, this is a very valuable book, which succeeds admirably in its aim of providing a guide to advanced study of the first Enquiry. It would be an excellent choice for a graduate seminar, and it deserves to be on every Hume scholar's reference shelf. * Lorne Falkenstein, Hume Studies * Peter Millican's Reading Hume on Human Understanding is a comprehensive overview of the philosophy of the first Enquiry and of the secondary literature on that work. ... [It] incorporates contributions from a number of the people whose names have come to be closely associated with work on the different sections of the first Enquiry. * Lorne Falkenstein, Hume Studies * Millican has gone to considerable time and effort . . . we should be grateful for all his hard work. The critical survey is particularly useful. * Peter Kail, Mind * [M. A. Stewart's] essay is a particular treat . . . though all the new essays are of good quality. * Peter Kail, Mind * The volume ... concludes with Millican's extremely useful critical survey of the literature on Hume and the first Enquiry ... The wealth of material contained in this volume makes it a valuable addition to the literature on Hume's epistemology and metaphysics both in the Enquiry and elsewhere. * The Philosophical Quarterly * Given the range and quality of the papers which make up Millican's volume, it ... provides an important resource for students of Hume's philosophy in general, and not only for those whose special interest is his Enquiry. * The Philosophical Quarterly * The volume . . . concludes with Millican's extremely useful critical survey of the literature on Hume and the first Enquiry . . . The wealth of material contained in this volume makes it a valuable addition to the literature on Hume's epistemology and metaphysics both in the Enquiry and elsewhere. * Philosophical Quarterly * Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding presents in elegant essay form many of the doctrines of Book One of A Treatise of Human Nature . . . he [Millican] has with this collection made it easier to discern the various ways in which Hume's second thoughts on human understanding differ from his first. * James A. Harris, Times Literary Supplement *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Oxford University Press
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
6 figures and 1 halftone
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
928 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-875211-0 (9780198752110)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
03/2002
Oxford University Press
€88.00
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Peter Millican is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy and Computing at the University of Leeds.
Content
Introduction ; 1. The Context, Aims, and Structure of Hume's First Enquiry ; 2. Two Species of Philosophy; The Historical Significance of the First Enquiry ; 3. Empiricism about Meanings ; 4. Hume's Sceptical Doubts concerning Induction ; 5. Belief and Instinct in Hume's First Enquiry ; 6. Hume, Belief, and Personal Identity ; 7. The Idea of Necessary Connexion ; 8. David Hume: Objects and Power ; 9. Hume and Thick Connexions ; 10. Hume on Liberty and Necessity ; 11. Hume on Testimony concerning Miracles ; 12. Hume versus Price on Miracles and Prior Probabilities: Testimony and the Bayesian Calculation ; 13. Religion: The Useless Hypothesis ; 14. Of the Academical or Sceptical Philosphy ; Bibliography, Index