Enquiry concerning the principles of morals / Hume, David, 1711-1776.

Examines each section of Hume's second Enquiry in detail and considers its place within Hume's philosophy as a whole.

Reading Hume on Human Understanding is a companion to the study of one of the great works of Western philosophy. The aims of the volume are: to provide a general overview of Hume's Enquiry on Human Understanding, in the context of Hume's philosophical work as a whole; to elucidate, analyse, and assess the philosophy of the Enquiry; and to discuss recent developments in Hume scholarship. The eminent contributors cover a broad range of topics which remain at the centre of philosophical debate today: meaning, induction, scepticism, belief, personal identity, causation, freedom, miracles, probability, and religious belief.

A genuine understanding of Hume's extraordinarily rich, important, and influential moral philosophy requires familiarity with all of his writings on vice and virtue, the passions, the will, and even judgments of beauty--and that means familiarity not only with large portions of A Treatise of Human Nature, but also with An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals and many of his essays as well. This volume is the one truly comprehensive collection of Hume's work on all of these topics. Geoffrey Sayre-McCord, a leading moral philosopher and Hume scholar, has done a meticulous job of editing the texts and has provided an extensive Introduction that is at once accessible, accurate, and philosophically engaging, revealing the deep structure of Hume's moral philosophy. --Don Garrett, New York University

Hume's Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals is one of the landmark works in the history of moral philosophy; this volume presents a section-by-section study of the work in the form of new interpretative essays by leading Hume scholars. The result is a comprehensive reassessment of Hume's 'recasting' of his moral philosophy in this work. Particular attention is given to the Enlightenment concepts of justice and benevolence, as well as to the concept of humanity and moral sentiment. Fifteen original chapters take the reader through the nine sections and four appendices of Hume's Enquiry, as well as 'A Dialogue,' to assess critically the moral philosophy he presents. How does it differ from the moral philosophy of the Treatise, and how should we understand the significance of the arguments he advances? Additional chapters examine the relation between Hume's mature moral philosophy and related subjects such as his epistemology, his writings on religion, beauty and criticism, the passions, and his own intellectual and philosophical development during the period in which he conceived and wrote the Enquiry.

Hume's Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals is one of the landmark works in the history of moral philosophy; this volume presents a section-by-section study of the work in the form of new interpretative essays by leading Hume scholars. The result is a comprehensive reassessment of Hume's 'recasting' of his moral philosophy in this work. Particular attention is given to the Enlightenment concepts of justice and benevolence, as well as to the concept of humanity and moral sentiment. Fifteen original chapters take the reader through the nine sections and four appendices of Hume's Enquiry, as well as 'A Dialogue, ' to assess critically the moral philosophy he presents. How does it differ from the moral philosophy of the Treatise, and how should we understand the significance of the arguments he advances? Additional chapters examine the relation between Hume's mature moral philosophy and related subjects such as his epistemology, his writings on religion, beauty and criticism, the passions, and his own intellectual and philosophical development during the period in which he conceived and wrote the Enquiry.

Covering an important theme in Humean studies, this book focuses on Hume's hugely influential attempt in book three of his Treatise of Human Nature to derive the conclusion that morality is a matter of feeling, not reason, from its link with action. Claiming that Hume's argument contains a fundamental contradiction that has gone unnoticed in modern debate, this fascinating volume contains a refreshing combination of historical-scholarly work and contemporary analysis that seeks to expose this contradiction and therefore provide a significant contribution to current scholarship in the area. Sophie Botros begins by pointing out that a contradiction concerning whether reason can influence action, or is wholly powerless, occurs in the intermediary premiss. She then moves on to draw out the consequences for recent meta-ethics of the failure to acknowledge this contradiction. Finally, highlighting the root of the argument's power in an article of naturalistic dogma, she suggests how it may be possible to restore to our moral concepts their traditional and integral link with both truth and motivation. A significant and thought-provoking addition to this popular field of study, Hume, Reason and Morality is undoubtedly an important resource for moral philosophers interested in meta-ethics and practical reason, as well as Humean scholars.

David Hume is widely recognised as the greatest philosopher to have written in the English language. His Treatise on Human Nature is one of the most important works of moral philosophy ever written. Hume on Morality introduces and assesses * Hume's life and the background of the Treatise * The ideas and text in the Treatise * Hume's continuing importance to philosophy

This expanded edition of James Ellington’s preeminent translation includes Ellington’s new translation of Kant’s essay Of a Supposed Right to Lie Because of Philanthropic Concerns in which Kant replies to one of the standard objections to his moral theory as presented in the main text: that it requires us to tell the truth even in the face of disastrous consequences.