num_pages: 624
description: One of the most significant works of Western philosophy, Hume's Treatise was published in 1739-40, before he was thirty years old. A pinnacle of English empiricism, it is a comprehensive attempt to apply scientific methods of observation to a study of human nature, and a vigorous attack upon the principles of traditional metaphysical thought. With masterly eloquence, Hume denies the immortality of the soul and the reality of space; considers the manner in which we form concepts of identity, cause and effect; and speculates upon the nature of freedom, virtue and emotion. Opposed both to metaphysics and to rationalism, Hume's philosophy of informed scepticism sees man not as a religious creation, nor as a machine, but as a creature dominated by sentiment, passion and appetite.
language: English
title: A Treatise of Human Nature
titlecomplete: A Treatise of Human Nature
genres: Classics, 18th Century, Politics, Philosophy, Science, Theory, Academic, Psychology, Nonfiction, Literature
ratings_count: 11932
series: A Treatise of Human Nature
publisher: Sterling Publishing