Hume's System

Hume's System

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Summary

It is argued that Hume's early philosophy can be seen as both an essay in the theory of meaning as well as an inquiry into the nature of truth and evidence. Pears examines the application of Hume's theories to the questions of causation, identity and perception.

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Hume's System by David Pears

In this book, Professor Pears examines the foundations of Hume's system as laid down in the first book of his Treatise, where his ideas are oresebted in their first fresh and undiluted form. The author steers a middle course between the two extreme views adopted in recent writings on Hume: that he relies exclusively on a theory of meaning, or that he relies exclusively on a theory of truth and evidence. Professor Pears argues that Hume's theory of ideas serves both functions, and he examines in detail its application to three difficult problems: causation, personal identity, and sense-perception. Hume's solutions are shown not to be theories which can be given a place in a standard classification of philosophical theories, but rather to depend upon a subtle form of naturalism not altogether unlike Wittgenstein's naturalism.
`Professor Pears, as was to be expected, has presented the philosophical world with most acute analyses of the problems of causation, personal identity and perception in Hume's Treatise' Dr Paul Tomassi, University of Edinburgh
'Hume's System is a thorough and carefully argued encounter with Hume's Treatise.' Christian K. Campolo, Hume Studies, Volume XIX, Number 1
'excellent study ... Pears excels at putting back those considerations that Hume inconsistently neglects, and having put them back he is able to explain Hume's vacillations as the result of his failure to face up to those alternatives. Pear's book is an excellent contribution to our understanding of the problems that Hume addresses in the Treatise ... his prose style is a delight to read, possessing a polished elegance that is all too rare in academic work. The book is also free of misprints and contains a comprehensive and highly useful set of internal references in the footnotes.' Adrian Heathcote, University of Sydney, Australian Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 71, No. 2, June 1993

David Pears is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oxford
SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9780198750994
ISBN 10 0198750994
Title Hume's System
Author David Pears
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher Oxford University Press
Year published 1991-01-03
Number of pages 216
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.