I. t. 1. buch. Über den verstand. 4. mit der zweiten übereinstimmende aufl.--II. t. 2. buch. Über die affekte (Of the passions) 3. buch. Über moral (Of morals); mit zugrundelegung einer übersetzung von frau J. Bona Meyer. 2. mit der ersten übereinstimmende aufl.

David and Mary Norton present the definitive scholarly edition of Hume's Treatise, one of the greatest philosophical works ever written. This set comprises the two volumes of texts and editorial material, which are also available for purchase separately.

David Hume's early philosophy appeals to fiction and artifice to explain several important features in our cognitive and social activity. In this dissertation, I develop a typology of Humean fictions and artifices to clarify and render his account consistent. In so doing, I identify a special class of fictions I divide into natural fictions and natural artifices. I argue that this special class of fictions represents a significant break with prior English-speaking philosophers, such as Francis Bacon and John Locke, in (...) so far as these fictions and artifices of the imagination are recognized as natural, irresistible, and pragmatically useful in human cognition and social activity. That fictions and artifices are naturally generated by the imagination in epistemic and moral contexts, I argue, is a watershed discovery in the history of philosophy. Indeed, it is a philosophical conclusion that poses serious, perhaps fatal, problems for philosophers who espouse thoroughgoing realist positions. More broadly, Hume's pursuit of applying the experimental method to the moral subject reveals that human nature is mightily governed by the imagination, and that fictions and artifices are ubiquitous across the domains of science, morality, theology, logic, mathematics, and philosophy. For that reason, I suggest Hume ought to be recognized as a central figure in the history of philosophical fictionalism. Specifically, via a comparative analysis of Hume and Hans Vaihinger, I make the case that Hume functions as a vital link between Hobbes, Berkeley, and Kant in the development of early modern fictionalism. (shrink)

Early Responses to Hume's Metaphysical and Epistemological Writings, 2 Volumes. Edited by James Fieser (Bristol, UK: Thoemmes Continuum, 2005), 800 pp. £195.00/$330.00 cloth.

No reader of Hume Studies is likely to make use of an abridgement of the Treatise. Everyman editions, however, are aimed not at scholars but at members of that elusive species, the intelligent general reader ; and the Treatise surely constitutes a paradigm case of a book that needs to be trimmed and tidied for consumption by non-specialists. This was something Hume himself came to realize: hence the Enquiries concerning Human Understanding and concerning the Principles of Morals. (...) But perhaps Hume trimmed and tidied too much. Perhaps the IGR should not feel she has to restrict herself to the Enquiries; perhaps she should be able to explore the secret passages and unused rooms of the Treatise, while remaining confident that she will easily find her way back to the principal corridors and chambers. This new edition might well introduce Hume’s first book to a readership it does not have at present, and is therefore to be welcomed. If my experience is anything to go by, in fact, even a reader of this journal might benefit from a read straight through a stripped-down version of the Treatise—a point I shall return to below. (shrink)

This article shows the unity of hume's "a treatise" as a problem; green and smith; contemplation and action; the roles of the author; the ambiguities of nature and fiction; scarcity and vanity. "a treatise" as an experiment in autonomy unmixed with heteronomy ; vindication of the ordinary through flight to the extraordinary; mention and use, Retorsion; arguments from silence and violence against hyperbolic evidence and unruly desire; is discourse compatible with dissolution of its author into free-Floating impressions (...) or with representation of his character as avaricious and vain? aristotle, Hobbes, And kant as foils for interpreting hume. (shrink)

A landmark of Enlightenment thought, Hume's _An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding_ is accompanied here by two shorter works that shed light on it: _A Letter from a Gentleman to His Friend in Edinburgh_, Hume's response to those accusing him of atheism, of advocating extreme skepticism, and of undermining the foundations of morality; and hisof _A Treatise of Human Nature_, which anticipates discussions developed in the _Enquiry_. In his concise Introduction, Eric Steinberg explores the conditions that led Hume (...) to write the Enquiry and the work's important relationship to Book I of Hume's _A Treatise of Human Nature_. (shrink)

This volume begins with excerpts from Aquinas' commentary on De Anima, excerpts that proceed from a general consideration of soul as common to all living things to a consideration of the animal soul and, finally, to what is peculiar to the human soul. These are followed by the Treatise on Man, Aquinas' most famous discussion of human nature, but one whose organization is dictated by theological concerns and whose philosophical importance is thus best appreciated when seen (...) as presented here: within the historical philosophical framework of which it constitutes a development. Aquinas' discussions of the will and the passions follow, providing fruitful points of comparison with other philosophers. (shrink)

My principal objective in this essay will be to show that the widely held view that Hume's Treatise' is not significantly or "directly" concerned with problems of religion is seriously mistaken. I shall approach this issue by way of an examination of a major skeptical theme that runs throughout the Treatise; namely, Hume's skepticism regarding the powers of demonstrative reason. In this paper I shall be especially concerned to bring to light the full significance of this skeptical theme (...) by placing Hume's arguments in their appropriate historical context. I shall show that both Hume and his contemporaries recognized that these important skeptical arguments were aimed primarily against the dogmatic Christian rationalism of John Locke and above all Samuel Clarke, and that they were, therefore, well aware that these arguments had considerable theological significance. (shrink)

Although the imagination plays a salient role in the epistemology of the Treatise of Human Nature, it has received far less attention than many other topics. Taking a closer look at the Newtonian analogies Hume employs in his analysis of this faculty – passed over more often than not in this context – enhances the understanding of the origins of his scepticism and reinforces the landmark character of his theory for the history of constructivism.

A new and idiomatic translation of the most important questions in the Summa Theologica pertaining to the nature of the human soul and human knowledge.--D. P. B.

This self-contained treatise, originally published in 1947 by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, examines fundamental features of nature in order to lay the groundwork for providing a solution to the major problems of ethics.

Nott, a novelist, poet and writer on philosophy and criticism, examines current Anglo-American philosophers and finds them too parochial in that they analyze language scientifically and by doing so limit the scope of philosophy. The real problems are endless moral ones in Nott’s estimation, and they have been ignored by analysts who have concentrated on what we say not on what we do or ought to do. She believes that philosophy is a humane study which cannot help being ethical and (...) social. The development and direction of philosophy as being critical are acceptable if the criticism is concerned with metaphysical concepts and the structure and use of language in a way that is not abstract and syntactical. A reference is made on Chomsky’s Aspects by Nott who reveals her inability to comprehend the philosophical implications of deep structure analysis. Peirce in his relativistic approach to truth and knowledge, however, is singled out because truth as he analyzed it was not a collection of certainties but a function of belief inside a human world of common meanings. An inquiry, we are told, is valid if it moves toward a logical method of science. With this approach emphasis is placed on knowing rather than what is to be known provided the knower represents our common capacity for arriving at judgments on which we agree. The pragmatism of Peirce gives us a natural concrete expansion to our concepts. Understanding means understanding part of our world in a pragmatic sense as opposed to the analytic approach that does not concern itself with the world. In the concluding chapter, Nott states that the present day philosophical act has been narrowly circumscribed and by implication wrongly defined. The philosopher does not want to commit himself to practical opinions nor write a comprehensive treatise on the human situation. Nott ends by saying that the philosopher must examine his environment and the distinctness of the human person. Unfortunately, Kathleen Nott has not considered the complexities of human existence nor has she made an attempt to consider them seriously as seen by her rejection of philosophers who attempt to define the complexities of human existence.—G. D. (shrink)

David and Mary Norton present the definitive scholarly edition of Hume's Treatise, one of the greatest philosophical works ever written. This set comprises the two volumes of texts and editorial material, which are also available for purchase separately.

본 연구는 한국 청소년의 유교적 가치관과 시민윤리의식의 관계를 분석하고, 인성론에 입각한 시민윤리의식을 전망함으로서 교육적 방안을 제시하고자, 실증연구방법을 진행하였다. 실증연구에서는 청소년 대상으로 한 설문조사자료에 의하여 통계분석 및 논의를 거쳐 연구목적을 달성하였다. 실증연구 부분에서는 한국 청소년의 유교적 가치관에 대한 인식과, 그에 따른 시민윤리의식과의 관계를 분석하였다. 유교사상의 가치관이 시민윤리의식에 미치는 영향과 관계를 분석함으로서, 청소년들의 유교사상에 대한 수용성과 시민윤리적 유용성을 평가하였다. 본 연구의 대상은 서울, 경기에 소재한 중⋅고등학교에 재학 중인 남녀 학생 311부의 자료가 실제분석에 사용되었다. 첫째, 본 연구에서 분석하고자 하는 청소년의 유교적가치관 및 시민윤리의식의 (...) 수준과 응답경향을 알아보기 위해 기술통계분석을 실시하였으며, 그 결과, 조사대상자들의 유교적가치관에서 세계관 M=3.54, 인간관계관 M=3.66, 도덕함양 M=3.76, 사회질서 M=3.45로 모두 3.0점 이상의 긍정적인 수준을 보였으며, 특히 도덕함양에서 가장 우수한 점수를 나타내었고, 유교적 가치를 사회질서의 기준으로 생각하는 사회질서 요인은 다소 낮게 나타났다. 둘째, 연구대상 청소년의 개인적인 특성에 따른 유교적가치관 하위변인 및 전체 지각 차이를 검증한 결과, 성별에 따라 도덕함양에서 여학생(M=3.85)이 남학생(M=3.64)보다 높게 나타났으며, 가정의 주관적 경제수준에 따라 세계관에서 상위층(M=3.98)이 중하위층(M=3.25), 하위층(M=3.22)보다 높게, 인간관계관에서 중상위층(M=3.79)이 하위층(M=3.46)보다 높게 나타났다. 그리고 가족구성형태에 따라 도덕함양에서 확대가족(M=3.83)이 핵가족(M=3.62)보다 높게, 사회질서에서 확대가족(M=3.54)이 핵가족(M=3.36)보다 높게 나타났다. 셋째, 청소년의 유교적가치관이 시민윤리의식에 미치는 영향을 밝히기 위한 연구문제 검증을 위해, 다중회귀분석의 다층모형을 이용한 위계적 회귀분석을 사용하였다. 그 결과, 유교적 가치관은 인간관계관(β=.499), 세계관(β=.412), 사회질서(β=.341), 도덕함양(β=.241) 순으로 시민윤리의식 전체와 유의한 정(+)의 관계를 갖는 것으로 나타났으며, 유교적 가치관은 도덕함양(β=.458), 인간관계관(β=.454), 사회질서(β=.362), 세계관(β=.158) 순으로 자율성과 유의한 정(+)의 관계를 갖는 것으로 나타났고, 유교적 가치관은 인간관계관(β=.295), 사회질서(β=.281), 도덕함양(β=.232) 순으로 공동체의식과 유의한 정(+)의 관계를 갖는 것으로 나타났다. 이상의 결과에서 청소년의 유교적 가치관은 시민윤리의식에 유의한 정(+)의 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타나, 유교적 가치관이 높을수록 시민윤리의식도 긍정적임을 알 수 있어, 결국 유교적 가치관이 현대사회 시민윤리의식에 중요한 역할을 하고 있음을 확인할 수 있었다. 그리고 이러한 분석결과를 토대로 한 구체적인 방안으로서, 본 연구에서는 인성론에 입각한 시민윤리의식 교육의 필요성 및 가능성을 언급하였으며, 이를 위해 인(仁)의 인간존중 사상, 이상적 인간상으로서 군자, 바람직한 사회이상 대동사회를 통한 유교윤리와 현대사회 시민윤리의식의 접점을 찾아야 함을 제안하였다. (shrink)

Prosper Lucas (1808–1885) is a unique figure in the history of psychiatric genetics. A physician-alienist, he authored one of the most important books on human genetics in the mid-19th century cited frequently by Darwin: the 1,500 page treatise—Philosophical and Physiological Treatise on Natural Heredity (1847–1850). This book contained a novel theory of the nature of inheritance and a detailed review of the heredity of a range of human traits and disorders, including various forms of insanity. (...) Lucas postulated four forms of heredity (direct, crossed, indirect, and atavistic), supported the importance of hereditary factors in insanity, accepted the inheritance of acquired characteristics, considered it important to examine both ancestors and collateral relatives, and recognized that heredity could influence both primary insanity and insanity secondary to other medical conditions. He reviewed the then available literature on most major forms of insanity including separate sections on hallucinations and suicidal monomania. The literature consisted of case reports of unusual families with high concentrations of illness. Lucas advocated for the homogeneity of transmission of forms of illness in families but recognized that—just as the form of illness could evolve within individuals over time—it could change forms when transmitted between relatives. (shrink)

A scholarly edition of Nicolas Malebranche's Treatise on Nature and Grace by Patrick Riley. The edition presents an authoritative text, together with an introduction, commentary notes, and scholarly apparatus.

Understanding the true nature of the human being is no doubt a sine qua non for developing an ideology for a desirable praxis. This paper examines the pitfalls of Marxist-Leninist scientific socialism and African socialism. It argues that a critical analysis of both ideologies reveals a lack of clear understanding of the nature of man by their proponents. An exhaustive account of the nature of man must explain self-consciousness, the urge to avoid pain, the desire for (...) a purposeful life and for freedom from external interference, the passion for distinction, and, most importantly, the desire to acquire personal property. The paper further contends that socialism , does not allow room for the pursuit of personal ambition. This accounts for the failure in the implementation of both Marxist-Leninist socialism and African socialism. The paper avers that there is need to understand that the human being cannot simply be seen as a socio-economic or historical being; rather, consideration of the intrinsic elements which constitute the true nature of personhood is quintessential to achieving a well-ordered society. (shrink)

In this article, although we will focus on virtue ethics, we will not discuss the derivatives or types of virtue in depth. Here, we will talk about teleological virtue rather than the question of whether epistemological virtues or not. However, it is a fact that in Plato and Aristotle, teleology is closely related to epistemology. This is because knowledge is needed for virtue to be realized, and knowledge is ultimately acquired for a purpose. This shows us that teleology determines the (...) epistemological aspect of this highest peak of Ancient Greek wisdom. When we compare this with the utilitarian understanding of the Sophists, we see that a purpose is needed for the realization of virtue. The Sophists’ denial of absolute reality eliminates the purpose of finding virtue or vice. (shrink)