A Treatise of Human Nature

Hume's comprehensive effort to form an observationally grounded study of human nature employs John Locke's empiric principles to construct a theory of knowledge from which to evaluate metaphysical ideas. A key to modern studies of 18th-century Western philosophy, the "Treatise" considers numerous classic philosophical issues, including causation, existence, freedom and necessity, and morality.

David Norton is Macdonald Professor of Moral Philosophy and Co-director of the Hume Society/National Endowment for the Humanities Institute on the Philosophy of David Hume.
Mary J. Norton is an independent scholar

PART 1: INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL

How to Use this Book

13

(2)

List of Abbreviations

15

(4)

Editor's Introduction

19

(97)

Hume's Early Years and Education

19

(93)

A Treatise of Human Nature

112

(2)

The Experimental Method and the Science of Human Nature

114

(2)

BOOK I: OF THE UNDERSTANDING

116

(30)

The Elements of the Mental World

116

(5)

Perceptions

117

(3)

Relations

120

(1)

Abstract Ideas

121

(1)

The Ideas of Space and Time

121

(3)

Knowledge, Probability, Belief, and Causation

124

(14)

Relations Revisited

124

(3)

The Relation of Causation

127

(2)

Causes and Causal Reasoning

129

(2)

Experience and Belief

131

(2)

Belief in the Uniformity of Nature

133

(2)

The Idea of Necessary Connection

135

(3)

Forms of Scepticism

138

(8)

External Objects

138

(5)

Enduring Selves and Personal Identity

143

(2)

The Conclusion of Book 1

145

(1)

BOOK 2: OF THE PASSIONS

146

(28)

The Productive Passions

148

(1)

The Responsive Passions

149

(1)

The Indirect Passions of Pride and Humility

150

(7)

The `very essence' of Virtue and Beauty

152

(2)

Unexercised Powers

154

(1)

Sympathy

155

(2)

The Indirect Passions of Love and Hatred

157

(8)

Passions and the Principles of Association

157

(3)

The Compound Passions

160

(1)

Passions and Relations

161

(1)

Dispositions

162

(3)

The Direct Passions and the Will

165

(9)

The Will and its Influences

165

(7)

The Direct Passions

172

(2)

BOOK 3: OF MORALS

174

The Source of Moral Distinctions

175

(6)

The Failure of Reason

176

(3)

Moral Sentiments

179

(2)

The Artificial Virtues

181

(10)

Motives and Moral Qualities

182

(2)

Justice

184

(5)

Additional Artificial Virtues

189

(2)

Natural Virtues and Natural Abilities

191

Natural Virtues

192

(3)

Natural Abilities

195

(1)

The Conclusion of Book 3

196

The Abstract and the Early Reception of the Treatise

197

(904)

Supplementary Reading

1101

(5)

A Note on the Texts of this Edition

1106

PART 2: THE TEXT A TREATISE OF HUMAN NATURE

1

(1)

BOOK I. OF THE UNDERSTANDING

1

(178)

2

(1)

Introduction

3

(4)

Of ideas, their origin, composition, connexion, abstraction, &c.

7

(16)

Of the origin of our ideas

7

(4)

Division of the subjects

11

(1)

Of the ideas of the memory and imagination

11

(1)

Of the connexion or association of ideas

12

(2)

Of relations

14

(2)

Of modes and substances

16

(1)

Of abstract ideas

17

(6)

Of the ideas of space and time

23

(27)

Of the infinite divisibility of our ideas of space and time

23

(1)

Of the infinite divisibility of space and time

24

(3)

Of the other qualities of our ideas of space and time

27

(4)

Objections answer'd

31

(9)

The same subject continu'd

40

(8)

Of the idea of existence, and of external existence

48

(2)

Of knowledge and probability

50

(71)

Of knowledge

50

(2)

Of probability; and of the idea of cause and effect

52

(4)

Why a cause is always necessary

56

(2)

Of the component parts of our reasonings concerning cause and effect

58

(1)

Of the impressions of the senses and memory

59

(2)

Of the inference from the impression to the idea

61

(4)

Of the nature of the idea or belief

65

(4)

Of the causes of belief

69

(5)

Of the effects of other relations and other habits

74

(7)

Of the influence of belief

81

(5)

Of the probability of chances

86

(3)

Of the probability of causes

89

(8)

Of unphilosophical probability

97

(8)

Of the idea of necessary connexion

105

(11)

Rules by which to judge of causes and effects

116

(2)

Of the reason of animals

118

(3)

Of the sceptical and other systems of philosophy

121

(58)

Of scepticism with regard to reason

121

(4)

Of scepticism with regard to the senses

125

(19)

Of the antient philosophy

144

(4)

Of the modern philosophy

148

(4)

Of the immateriality of the soul

152

(12)

Of personal identity

164

(7)

Conclusion of this book

171

(8)

BOOK 2. OF THE PASSIONS

179

(112)

Of pride and humility

181

(33)

Division of the subject

181

(1)

Of pride and humility; their objects and causes

182

(2)

Whence these objects and causes are deriv'd

184

(1)

Of the relations of impressions and ideas

185

(2)

Of the influence of these relations on pride and humility

187

(3)

Limitations of this system

190

(3)

Of vice and virtue

193

(2)

Of beauty and deformity

195

(3)

Of external advantages and disadvantages

198

(4)

Of property and riches

202

(4)

Of the love of fame

206

(5)

Of the pride and humility of animals

211

(3)

Of love and hatred

214

(43)

Of the objects and causes of love and hatred

214

(2)

Experiments to confirm this system

216

(9)

Difficulties solv'd

225

(2)

Of the love of relations

227

(4)

Of our esteem for the rich and powerful

231

(5)

Of benevolence and anger

236

(2)

Of compassion

238

(2)

Of malice and envy

240

(5)

Of the mixture of benevolence and anger with compassion and malice

245

(5)

Of respect and contempt

250

(3)

Of the amorous passion, or love betwixt the sexes

253

(2)

Of the love and hatred of animals

255

(2)

Of the will and direct passions

257

(34)

Of liberty and necessity

257

(5)

The same subject continu'd

262

(3)

Of the influencing motives of the will

265

(3)

Of the causes of the violent passions

268

(3)

Of the effects of custom

271

(1)

Of the influence of the imagination on the passions

272

(2)

Of contiguity and distance in space and time

274

(3)

The same subject continu'd

277

(3)

Of the direct passions

280

(6)

Of curiosity, or the love of truth

286

(5)

BOOK 3. OF MORALS

291

(279)

292

(1)

Of virtue and vice in general

293

(14)

Moral distinctions not deriv'd from reason

293

(9)

Moral distinctions deriv'd from a moral sense

302

(5)

Of justice and injustice

307

(60)

Justice, whether a natural or artificial virtue?

307

(4)

Of the origin of justice and property

311

(11)

Of the rules, which determine property

322

(8)

Of the transference of property by consent

330

(1)

Of the obligation of promises

331

(6)

Some farther reflections concerning justice and injustice

337

(5)

Of the origin of government

342

(3)

Of the source of allegiance

345

(7)

Of the measures of allegiance

352

(2)

Of the objects of allegiance

354

(8)

Of the laws of nations

362

(2)

Of chastity and modesty

364

(3)

Of the other virtues and vices

367

(203)

Of the origin of the natural virtues and vices

367

(11)

Of greatness of mind

378

(6)

Of goodness and benevolence

384

(3)

Of natural abilities

387

(4)

Some farther reflections concerning the natural abilities

391

(2)

Conclusion of this book

393

(28)

Appendix

396

(7)

An Abstract of...a Treatise of Human Nature

403

(18)

PART 3: SUPPLEMNTARY MATERIAL

Editors' Annotations

421

(149)

Annotations to the Treatise

423

(143)

Annotations to the Abstract

566

(4)

Glossary

570

(15)

References

585

(10)

Index

595

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A Treatise of Human Nature

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials