Hume: A Very Short Introduction

by James A. Harris

Overview

Written by one of the world's leading experts in the field, this book offers a clear account of the contributions to philosophy made by one of Britain's greatest thinkers. Harris covers Hume's main interests of human nature, morality, politics, and religion, and explores the philosophical questions that remain at the heart of the subject today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780192589651
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	09/23/2021
Series:	Very Short Introductions
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	152
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

James A. Harris is Professor of the History of Philosophy at the University of St Andrews, where he has taught since 2004. He is the author of the acclaimed Hume: An Intellectual Biography (Cambridge University Press, 2015), and of many articles and book chapters on aspects of Hume's thought. He has also written widely on British philosophy in the eighteenth century, and has edited texts by Reid (with Knud Haakonnsen), Kames, Beattie, and Abraham Tucker. He was a Member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton in 2012-13, and in 2018 gave the Benedict Lectures in the History of Political Philosophy at Boston University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements xix

List of illustrations xxi

Abbreviations xxiii

Introduction 1

1 Human nature 4

2 Morality 29

3 Politics 53

4 Religion 81

Postscript 104

References 109

Further reading 113

Index 119

Editorial Reviews

"Harris' book provides a compelling picture of the shape and significance of Hume's contribution to philosophy." — Jennifer Smalligan Marušić, British Journal for the History of Philosophy

"Hume's most important arguments are explained in clear and lucid prose and Harris' own interpretations are presented in a careful and convincing manner" — Moritz Baumstark, Hume Studies

From the Publisher