The Routledge Guidebook to Hume’s a Treatise of Human Nature

David Hume is widely acknowledged as the greatest philosopher to have written in the English language. His 1739/40 A Treatise of Human Nature is commonly regarded as his masterpiece. It is a profound work of great ambition, seeking to reorient philosophy by establishing a ’science of human nature’.

Following the structure of the original work closely, The Routledge Guidebook to Hume’sA Treatise of Human Nature provides a clear and accessible introduction to its key themes, and explores:

• the lasting philosophical significance of the work
• the context of Hume’s philosophy
• the character of Hume’s theory of human nature
• the two central themes of scepticism and naturalism
• the unity of the three original volumes.

Written for readers approaching Hume’s seminal work for the first time, this guidebook includes a helpful overview of the text, chapter summaries and further reading throughout. It is an essential introduction for undergraduate students studying the history of modern philosophy, and all those who wish to engage more deeply with this classic work.

P. J. E. Kail is Official Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at St. Peter’s College, and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford, UK. He is the author of, among other things, Projection and Realism in Hume’s Philosophy (2007), Berkeley’s A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Knowledge (2014), and Simply Nietzsche (2019).