The Vision of Hume

Book excerpt: There is no such thing as a rational belief. In all the incidents of life we ought to preserve our scepticism. Hume’s ideas about the nature of certainty revolutionized Western philosophy. This radical mind discovered a ‘missing step’ in 18th century thinking and brought to the for an ‘observational awareness’ that restrains the mind’s tendency to go beyond actual experience. This fascinating introduction to Hume’s philosophy with extensive excerpts from his writings offers insights into his theories of causation, impression, innate ideas, personal identity, free choice, ethics, sympathy, justice, religion, and divine design.