Product Description
David Hume's Enquiry concerning Human Understanding is the definitive statement of the greatest philosopher in the English language. His arguments in support of reasoning from experience, and against the "sophistry and illusion"of religiously inspired philosophical fantasies, caused controversy in the eighteenth century and are strikingly relevant today, when faith and science continue to clash.
The Enquiry considers the origin and processes of human thought, reaching the stark conclusion that we can have no ultimate understanding of the physical world, or indeed our own minds. In either sphere we must depend on instinctive learning from experience, recognizing our animal nature and the limits of reason. Hume's calm and open-minded skepticism thus aims to provide a new basis for science, liberating us from the "superstition" of false metaphysics and religion. His Enquiry remains one of the best introductions to the study of philosophy, and his edition places it in its historical and philosophical context. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Foundation-stone of empiricism and humanism
This volume earns the names "thin" and "compendious" at the same time. In typical Oxford fashion, it contains not merely the original text and modern notes, but a collection of further relevant appendices, including an abstract from the later "Treatise of Human Nature", an essay on the "soul" intended for the Enquiry but published separately later, posthumous dialogues concerning the subject matter, excerpts from Hume's letters which address the Enquiry, a short autobiography published in the year of Hume's death, and glossaries and multiple indices.

Hume appears to have regretted his publication at such an unripe age of the Enquiry, which at first did not sell well and brought still-dangerous accusations of atheism. Indeed, the accusation of atheism could still be lethal in contemporary Europe, and Hume always approaches the subject indirectly, including pro-forma acknowledgements of a Creator, with his more daring work published separately as anonymous or posthumous essays. Nevertheless, his early work built up a following in later years and ultimately rendered him financially independent.

The fundamental achievement of this work must be its strong philosophical case for empiricism as the basis of all knowledge of the world that is worth the name. "When we run over libraries, persuaded of these principles, what havoc must we make? If we take in our hand any volume, of divinity or school metaphysics, for instance, let us ask, 'Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence?' No. Commit it then to the flames. For it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion." Hume places this judgement on a footing which seems undeniable. What do we know of causation other than as a generalisation of necessary relationships gathered from experience? Nothing. What do we know of the intrinsic properties of objects that can be ascertained by pure reason without ever having observed them? Nothing.

Hume was deeply sceptical of any inference about objects not directly observed - the nature of causation and even of forces and the like could not directly be seen. I wonder how he would have dealt with today's increasingly indirect and specialised science, where a particle in an accelerator is often a mere representation on a computer display? We cannot know, but I am sure his opinion would have been worth hearing.

Hume is also worth listening to on miracles, which he rejects as never having been sufficiently testified to in all of human experience - although, mark you, he does not reject in principle their possibility. No, his point is that no testimony suffices to provide assurance of a miracle's occurrence. A miracle requires human testimony, which is fallible. It is easier to believe in the failure of testimony than the failure of the laws of nature, hence no testimony suffices to demonstrate a miracle save that the falsity of the testimony would be yet more miraculous than the event itself.

Hume's 18th-Century circumlocution makes his text a little more difficult to read than modern English-language philosophers or the ancients, but Hume is arguably the greatest philosopher of the English language. His ideas and friendship influenced Adam Smith and he is a key figure of the Scottish Enlightenment. Anyone interested in Enlightenment thinking, epistemology, humanism or atheism ought to make their self familiar with this work. ... Read more

Product Description
Hume wrote A Treatise of Human Nature in France at the age of twenty-six. Although many scholars today consider the Treatise to be Hume's most important work and one of the most important books in the history of philosophy, the public in Britain did not at first agree. Hume himself described the (lack of) public reaction to the publication of the Treatise by writing that the book "fell dead-born from the press."

Hume intended to see whether the Treatise met with success and, if so, to complete it with books devoted to morals, politics, and criticism. It did not meet with success, and so was not completed.

After deciding that the Treatise had problems of style rather than of content, he reworked some of the material for more popular consumption in An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (1748). It did not prove extremely successful either, but more so than the Treatise. He later also "cast anew" Book 3 of the Treatise as An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals (1751), which Hume wrote is "of all my writings, historical, philosophical, or literary, incomparably the best."

The Treatise is now in the public domain. Books 1 and 2 were originally published in 1739, while Book 3 was published in 1740. ... Read more

Product Description
David Hume - The Mind of a Scottish Philosopher is a biography of David Hume, a Scottish philosopher and historian of the 18th century who is considered to be one of the most influential figures during the Scottish Enlightenment.Hume's works include A Treatise of Human Nature which is considered by many scholars to be one of the most important books ever written on philosophy.David Hume - The Mind of a Scottish Philosopher is highly recommended for those interested in the history, life and philosophy of David Hume. ... Read more

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Few monarchs ever ascended a throne under more auspicious circumstances than George III. The sources of national wealth and prosperity were daily becoming developed, and the British arms were everywhere victorious. So extensive were their conquests, indeed, that it may be said, the sun rose and set, at this date, within the limits of the British dominions. ... Read more

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Hume's "naturalist" approach to a wide variety of philosophical topics resulted in highly original theories about perception, self-identity, causation, morality, politics, and religion, all of which are discussed in this stimulating introduction by A.J. Ayer, himself one of the twentieth century's most important philosophers. Ayer also gives an account of Hume's fascinating life and character, and includes generous quotations from Hume's lucid and often witty writings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Hogwash: A very short review
The title of the series is "Very Short Introductions," not "Very Short Pedantic Compendiums Written by Arses for Neophyte and Dilettante Consumption Writ Large." A J Ayer's prose is the modicum of brevity and clarity; who better to write a very short introduction than this 'arch-empiricist' of the logical positivist school? Mr. Rogers? Amy Winehouse? T-bag Blair? Donald Rumsfeld? From the sound of the other reviews, the second title offered above may be valid for much of the rest of the series; this one then, is a very fortunate exception.

A Good Read
While appreciating the previous reviewers' criticisms which are not without some merit-- I feel that I must rise to Ayer's defense in saying that this book, though small, pushes one to "think" about Hume's philosophy while trying to get a handle on it. Isn't that what introductions are to be about? Ayers introduces a particular aspect of Hume's thought, agrees or disagrees then moves on.Their criticism's, however, do have some merit.Ayer reads Hume through his own lenses, who doesn't, and is not above bringing Hume to task when he feels that it is warranted.However, Ayer also respects Hume the philosopher, and presents Hume in this small book in a courteous light.This was one of the first books I read on Hume's thought and I found it to be quite helpful. It was a good jumping off point into weightier works-- it's not simplistic, nor is it a Cliff-Notes version, but a presentation of Hume's work, which in itself requires some careful thought, simply because Hume himself is carrying on a conversation with other phiosophers (some long since dead) but it is also a thoughtful conversation with Hume, about the issues Hume raised, by an emiment philosopher in his own right.I'm not sure that it doesn't belong in the series, having read several of the others.Ayer makes his point and then moves on without spending too many pages waxing eloquent. For someone wanting to learn about Hume's philosophy, but not wanting to read a long list of books, this is a good introduction to the main themes that Hume is noted for bringing to light and discussing.My practice in reading this book was to read a few pages, put it down and then read a few more.I found this a helpful way to let what Ayer said digest. Perhaps it should have been an easier read, but then the themes Hume touches upon are not easy subjects to begin with. In sum, I found it a worthwhile book.

A stain on this series good reputation
As an introduction for the general reader this is pretty useless. Its actually an older work not intended for the very short introduction series. Its a brief but fairly in depth study of Hume's work with an initial chapter on his life tagged on at the start. It requires at least a basic familiarity with Hume and the reader would almost certainly benefit from having read the Enquiries or even an alternative introduction before engaging with this. Presenting Ayers' book in this way is disingenuous and does both him and the reader a disservice.

Not recommended for the general public.
I have read 13 Very Short Introduction titles up till now and have never written a review for this series. The reason I am writing a review now is to advice you not to buy this book. I have been reading philosophy for years, have read other books about Hume, and this is supposedly an introduction, and I understood only half of what is written (though the first and last chapters are fairly comprehensible). Of course I haven't spent much time trying to decipher what Ayer says here, because I'm used to reading a book like this in 2 or 3 days. I've also read the Very Short Introductions to Kant and Hegel, also from this series (Kant and Hegel are considered "difficult" philosophers, meaning that it's hard to understand what they're saying if you're not a professional philosopher yourself), and even then I have understood the Introductions perfectly.
They should assign to someone else the task of writing an introduction about Hume, and not try to cash in on the name of the writer (Ayer is a famous philosopher in his own right).
Though if one is fairly familiar with the works of Hume and with general philosophical jargon this book can be a profitable experience. I am not judging its content but the way it is written, always considering that it is meant to be read by the general public.

too substantial to shoe-horn into this 'Very Short' series
Despite Ayer's lapidary style, this is a heavyweight critique of Hume's philosophy, not the bite-sized summary one would expect from the way the original 1980 book has been repackaged.

Hume emerges as more pragmatic, more likable, than his reputation as the ineluctable arch-sceptic.Ayer doesn't hesitate to suggest improvements to Hume's arguments, or to flatly contradict him, especially on his theory of perception.On the other hand, Ayer tamely accepts the impossibility of induction, which would surely be unacceptable to most modern scientists (at least, those inclined to think about it at all).

Overall, the book is more analytical, and less heuristic, than is helpful for this series. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.I., Part D. - From Elizabeth to James I. is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by David Hume is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of David Hume then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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This book is the sixth book in a series of Socratic explorations of some of the Great Books. The books in this series are intended to be short, clear, and non-technical, thus fully understandable by beginners. Through such Socratic dialogues, Peter Kreeft introduces (or reviews) the basic questions in the fundamental divisions of philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology, anthropology, ethics, logic, and method.

In Socrates Meets Hume, Kreeft presents a Socratic inquiry concerning human understanding in relation to the skepticism of Hume by posing questions that challenge the concepts proposed by Hume. Kreeft states that Hume is the "most formidable, serious, difficult-to-refute skeptic in the history of human thought."

Kreeft invites you to take part in the process of refuting Hume's skeptical arguments, with the aid of Socrates. Based on an imaginary dialogue between Socrates and Hume that takes place in the afterlife, this profound and witty book makes an entertaining and informative exploration of modern philosophy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

'Socrates Meets Hume', or, 'Another Fatter Scotsman Lays a Smack-down'
Easily my favorite in this incredibly clear and engaging series, with Socrates Meets Sartre coming in at #2.

Kreeft's intellect, weathered as it is by many decades of careful reading, is incredibly agile, fluent in Socratic liberal abstraction, and easily runs circles around Hume's conclusions, while casting serious doubt on Hume's major premises.Hume is exposed especially well in his circular mishaps, e.g. it is always less probable that a miracle occurred, than it is that a witness of a miracle was lying or deceived, and this is so because only what is experienced is probable, and miracles have never been experienced... this is circular. It is like saying "I don't believe you, because you must be lying. And the reason I think you're lying, is because if you were telling the truth, you wouldn't say that." It is also like saying, "Scientific countries, which are more reliable, tend to disbelieve miracles. And the reason they tend to disbelieve them, is because they are so scientific."If you spin around really fast and close your eyes, you don't get dizzy.Socrates has a way of slowing things down.Dizziness ensues.

At no point in this book did I feel Kreeft was attacking a straw-man version of Hume's arguments.Hume's emphasis on custom and his probabilism are particularly well analyzed and doubted here. (or torn to shreds, for that matter.)Chesterton, who is the other, fatter Scotsman referenced in my fanciful title for this book, gets several pages of face time in this book and his quotes are arresting, to say the least.It is precisely because sense-impressions and brute facts have no contradictories (one of Hume's fundamental points) that miracles do not violate the laws of nature, but are absorbed by those laws, as an entirely new event like a meteor is absorbed by the climate and geography of the earth.(A casual reference to C. S. Lewis's poem 'The Meteorite')It is the naturalist who is the sentimentalist, swept away and soaked by mere associations.Moreover, it is precisely because each event in nature is probabilistically distinct, like the flipping of a coin, that we cannot determine what the probability of a miracle would be. You cannot predict future uniformity by past uniformity, you can only naively expect future uniformity, and this has nothing whatever to do with whether a supernatural cause could intervene, producing a natural effect.To think otherwise is to fall prey to a version of the Gambler's fallacy, or the idea that if the coin has landed heads 10 times in a row, it is highly likely that a tail will come up next.Whereas, it's still 50/50.

And that is exactly how this excellent book ends: now matter how "swept away by associations" Hume or any other naturalist may become, it's still 50/50 with regards to probabilism itself, and Humean skepticism itself.And if that's the case, it might be totally wrong, or it might be totally right. In which case, mere probabilism hasn't advanced human understanding one bit. ... Read more

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This volume includes the major works of the British Empiricists, philosophers who sought to derive all knowledge from experience. All essays are complete except that of Locke, which Professor Richard Taylor of Brown University has skillfully abridged. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Just the poor paper and printing make a difference
Excellent work done many many years ago, but still helpfull if you want to understand understanding.The empiricists is , in my view a code that I could do without. Locke had wonderful insignts, as early as 1630 in things we still can discuss.Berkeley and Hume did several things on their own, but it is good to have the esssential ideas all together in one book.
Only the poor presentation rests merits to the publisher, but give it a try, speciall y in this price.

Works for me
A comprehensive collection of their writings under the cover of one handy volume. Light in weight - heavy in content, but you get the data directly from these philosophers themselves for this is their original material. Makes you feel like a serious student of philosphy and the effort used to duplicate them will serve you well in your future ponderings.An important collection and a must if you wish to study the GREAT EMPERICISTS. ... Read more

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"My first 'meeting' with David Hume Kennerly was via the pictures that he took at my Geneva summit with President Reagan. His exclusive coverage of both that and the Reykjavik summit is a valuable and impressive record. It is more than photography-it is history."
-Mikhail Gorbachev

"Kennerly's Photo Op is an extraordinary personal journey through the last thirty years. His photographs will put you into the middle of the Vietnam war, ringside with Ali Frasier, on the spot at Jonestown, and at the core of other momentous episodes. This will sweep you through the events that shaped a generation. Photo Op is as good as being there."
-James A. Michener

"David Hume Kennerly worked professionally and discreetly behind the scenes during the Ford Administration. His pictures were insightful, dramatic and an honest record of what it was really like to be President and First Lady. His book documents that turbulent period and many other significant events in our recent history. He is both our friend and photographer-like a member of the family. Photo Op is an outstanding achievement."
-President and Mrs. Gerald R. Ford

"David Kennerly once said to me, 'In photography everything can be taught, except how to see.' In his photographs as collected in this book, we see people and historical events through the keen alert eye of an eminent camera artist."
-Herman Wouk

"Dave and his camera are witnesses of life-the grit, the humanity, the struggle and the joy. And it's all here."
-Diane Sawyer

"David is one of the best photojournalists of all time."
-Neil LeiferPulitzer Prize-winning photographer David Hume Kennerly presents a photo album for the whole American family.

The last thirty years of American history have produced a compelling range of images: Vietnam and the student protests, Robert Kennedy's assassination and Richard Nixon's election, the trauma of Watergate and the recovery under Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, the fragile beginnings of peace in the Middle East and the crumbling of the Soviet Union. Kennerly's astonishing photographs of these and many other events that shaped our times are among the images forever imprinted in our memories.

David Hume Kennerly was always there with his camera-on the battlefield, at ringside, or behind closed doors in the Oval Office. This eyewitness collection presents over 250 of his most dramatic photographs, many published here for the first time. Augmented by Kennerly's first-hand recollections of the historic events he witnessed, the photographs range from an early Rolling Stones concert through Jonestown, with vivid coverage of Vietnam and other wars, the final days of the Nixon Presidency, the inside workings of the Ford Administration, and groundbreaking events in international diplomacy.

As a member of the generation that has assumed leadership in America, Kennerly offers this outstanding visual record of the changing of the guard and the ascendancy of that new generation. Every photograph will trigger a memory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Wonderful!
This book was amazing. I recieved it quickly and am very happy with the product.

David Hume-Kennerly is one of the finest photojournalists of -
--our times. This book shows what he has seen all over the world in his "short" life.

He is most famous for being Gerald Ford's photographer during the aftermath of the Nixon insanity. When his Whitehouse pass was revoked after the lost election, he wasn't even 30 -- YET had a body of work that was the envy of many of his fellow Shooters, me included. I am honored that he is aware that I exist.

Follow this man for the rest of your life and you will be exposed to all the wonders of this world. He is not just a photographer; he is a driven "oracle" of the 20th century who must make images or die - much like a shark who must keep swimming or drown.

great reading about talent, guts and brains
Having known David Kennerly since he was 24 on on his way to Viet Nam. I threw a party for him while passing through Chicago on his birthday.

I bought many copies for gifts as I thought that highly of the book and especially for anyone interested in photography.

I strongly recommend reading this for a statement in courage and tremedous enthusiasm and talent for his work. His Jonestown story, as one of the first on the scene, is breathtaking.

Stan Golomb

A scrape book for a generation
Photo-Op will take you on an unforgettable journey through the last 30 years. Through the commentary and photographs you will experience such events as the Ali-Fraiser fight, the Ford White House years and the Veitnam War.Every one needs a copy of this book to teach the next generation of Kids, the true History of the USA ... Read more

Product Description
Russell Hardin presents a new explication of David Hume's moral and political theory. With Hume, he holds that our normative views can be scientifically explained but they cannot be justified as true. Hume argued for the psychological basis of such views. In particular, he argued for sympathy as the mirroring of the psychological sensations and emotions of others. By placing Hume in the developing tradition of social science, as a strong forerunner of his younger friend Adam Smith, Hardin demonstrates Hume's strong strategic sense, his nascent utilitarianism, his powerful theory of convention as a main source of social and political order, and his recognition of moral and political theory as a single enterprise. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A major contribution to political science
It may take a while for Hardin's book on David Hume to become recognized as the major contribution to political science that it is.The title, although certainly appropriate, may lead prospective readers to assume, wrongly, that the book is of interest mainly to scholars who specialize in David Hume.But this masterful work lays out the whole project of modern political science, as informed by rational modeling approaches.

Hardin outlines and explains rational modeling (especially game theory) in order to explicate Hume's arguments and insights, which, he argues, were vastly more advanced than is generally recognized.And through Hardin's approach, the reader is twice enlightened, for in order to reveal Hume's theoretical strategies, Hardin also provides a spare and elegant account of a modern formal and empirical politcal/social science.From this modern perspective, we can see what Hume, without benefit of the clarifying concepts and proofs of contemporary social science, was really arguing for.We can also see, in broad but incisive strokes, what modern political science is.

Regrettably, this book and the controversies it may provoke will probably be confined, at first, to a comparatively small circle of theorists and specialists concerned with Hume's work.But it should gain a much wider currency; it should be at the center of any serious political science curriculum. ... Read more

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Since its publication in the mid-eighteenth century, Hume's discussion of miracles has been the target of severe and often ill-tempered attacks. In this book, one of our leading historians of philosophy offers a systematic response to these attacks.

Arguing that these criticisms have--from the very start--rested on misreadings, Robert Fogelin begins by providing a narrative of the way Hume's argument actually unfolds. What Hume's critics (and even some of his defenders) have failed to see is that Hume's primary argument depends on fixing the appropriate standards of evaluating testimony presented on behalf of a miracle. Given the definition of a miracle, Hume quite reasonably argues that the standards for evaluating such testimony must be extremely high. Hume then argues that, as a matter of fact, no testimony on behalf of a religious miracle has even come close to meeting the appropriate standards for acceptance. Fogelin illustrates that Hume's critics have consistently misunderstood the structure of this argument--and have saddled Hume with perfectly awful arguments not found in the text. He responds first to some early critics of Hume's argument and then to two recent critics, David Johnson and John Earman. Fogelin's goal, however, is not to "bash the bashers," but rather to show that Hume's treatment of miracles has a coherence, depth, and power that makes it still the best work on the subject. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A clear and to the point interpretation and defense of Hume
A Defense of Hume on Miracles is a short book divided into three parts:
1. a clear interpretation of Hume's famous argument against miracles;
2. a look at two supposed refutations, that is Johnson's "Hume, Holism and Miracles" and Earman's "Hume's Abject Failure";
3. a look at how Hume's stance on miracles fits into his philosophy as a whole.

Hume's argument basically consists of two methods of measuring the reliability of testimony: the "direct method", ie. showing the witness is reliable, unbiased, noncontradictory, etc. The more important second method is the "reverse method" in which the probability of the event that is being testified is assessed and then applied to judge the reliability of the testimony.
That is the first part of Hume's essay. The second part applies the reverse test to testimonies of religious miracles and argues that these have continuously failed, and as such has created an enormous barrier for future testimony of religious miracles.

Fogelin argues strongly against two common misinterpretations of Hume, namely that he is using an a-priori argument against miracles, and that Hume's argument is circular because it assumes "uniform experience" to discredit miracles (an argument used by CS Lewis among others). The former is simply false since Hume explicitly gives an example of when testimony would suffice to establish that a miracle has taken place. The latter also reads into Hume's essay what is simply not there - Hume nowhere says reports of miracles are false because we know they never happened. Fogelin explains with a clear example:

"Hume begins with a claim about testimony. On one side we have wide and unproblematic testimony to the effect that when people step into water they do not remain on its surface. On the other side we have isolated reports of people walking across the surface of water. Given testimony of the first kind, how should we evaluate the testimony of the second sort? The testimony of the first sort does not show that the testimony of the second sort is false; it does, however, create a strong presumption - unless countered, a decisively strong presumption - in favor of its falsehood. That is Hume's argument, and there is nothing circular or question-begging about it."

Fogelin shows in part 2 that Johnson commits both misinterpretations, that is, he both says that Hume's argument is circular and that Hume's argument is a-priori. Earman's approach is more subtle, but still flawed. Based on a couple of strong statements of Hume against miracles, Earman thinks Hume thought the probability of miracles was roughly zero. But, as noted earlier, this is incorrect because Hume provided an example of when a miracle could be established by testimony; moreover, it contradicts his epistemic fallibility, as well as a statement elsewhere that "the course of nature may change". So Earman's treatment too is based upon a misreading.

The third part is good too. Overall, Fogelin's book is written in clear style, offers excellent insights and provides a thorough defense against some more vocal critics of Hume. This all more than compensates for the short length of the book. Highly recommended for people interested in Hume's argument against miracles, or interested in miracles in general.

Defense of circular reasoning.
How do you defend circular reasoning?Hume begs the question.How do you know if uniform experience is against miracles unless you know all the reports of miracles are false, the very question we're trying to answer?To know all the reports of miracles are false, Hume would have to be all-knowing, which contradicts his own purported empiricism.In "basic" logic texts this is called "begging the question."Moreover, Hume wants to assert that the cause of all physical events is always empirical even though modern physics proved you cannot posit a universal principle of causality.Hume didn`t have the benefit of good logic nor good science.

Hume was well answered in his day by Archbishop Richard Whately in his essay "HISTORIC DOUBTS RELATIVE TO NAPOLEON BUONAPARTE" which is available free on-line.John Earman did a terrific job in refuting Hume in recent book "Hume's Abject Failure: The Argument Against Miracles."C. S. Lewis also did a lucid critique in his book "Miracles."Jesus Christ did the best refutation when He rose from the dead.Unless you can rise from the dead, Jesus is in a better position to explain how He did it.

Excellent defense of Hume.
After reading Earman's HUME'S ABJECT FAILURE, I thought Hume's argument against miracles was dead. Now, after having reading Fogelin's A DEFENSE OF HUME ON MIRACLES, I appreciate the argument more than ever. Fogelin's exposition makes sense of a number of things about "Of Miracles" that always puzzled me. Fogelin effectively argues that Hume never offered an a priori argument, or even a knockdown argument against testimony on behalf on miracles, and shows how Part II of "Of Miracles" is just as essential to Hume's real argument as Part I.

A DEFENSE OF HUME ON MIRACLES also contains responses to the recent criticisms of Johnson and Earman, a discussion of how Hume's argument against miracles relates to other aspects of his philosophy, an appendix treating Hume's use and abuse of Tillotson, and a second appendix reprinting "Of Miracles", which the reader will definitely want to have handy.

The one thing I felt would have made the book even better was detailed assessment by Fogelin of the merits of the argument he reconstructs, which I thought still makes very interesting and controversial claims about testimony and evidence. Although Fogelin seems sympathetic, it is often difficult to tell whether he is agreeing with Hume altogether, or just pointing out that he did not make one or another mistake commonly attributed to him. But proper exegesis and interpretation must come before assessment, and Fogelin's book goes a long way towards establishing that necessary foundation.

Clear, accessible, accurate
Are you looking for an accessible, clear, and, best of all, accurate account of Hume's argument in "Of Miracles" (section 10 of his *An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding*)?

If so, you've found it. ... Read more

Product Description
This vital study offers a new interpretation of Hume's famous "Of Miracles," which notoriously argues against the possibility of miracles. By situating Hume's popular argument in the context of the eighteenth-century debate on miracles, Earman shows Hume's argument to be largely unoriginal and chiefly without merit where it is original. Yet Earman constructively conceives how progress can be made on the issues that Hume's essay so provocatively posed about the ability of eyewitness testimony to establish the credibility of marvelous and miraculous events. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Ouch! Earman is Wrong about Hume.
Earman attributes to Hume the view that "the probabibility of a miracle is flatly zero." (p. 23.) This is a serious misreading of Hume.As any undergraduate philosophy student knows, Hume would never say that the probability of ANY matter of experience is "flatly zero."Hume's most notorious trait was his epistemic fallibilism, which arose from his skepticism about induction. Sadly, Earman is so bothered by some of Hume's strong anti-miracle language that he fails to view these passages in the context of Hume's most central claims.

Before one gets overly taken with Dr. Earman, I would suggest reading Robert Fogelin's "A Defense of Hume on Miracles", a short book that demolishes Earman's claims about Hume.

Earman hits a home run!
David Hume's argument against miracles has been widely cited by skeptics almost since the day it was written. The argument has generated much controversy over the 250+ years since it was penned by Hume. John Earman seeks to "set the record straight" with this withering and highly scholarly critique. Earman approaches David Hume's argument from the perspective of someone who himself doesn't believe in the reality of miracles. So why does he take Hume on? Because he thinks Hume's argument is deeply and fundamentally flawed, and recognizes that it is basically an exercise in "pretentious sneering."

Earman's argument is actually only 73 pages long. The remainder of the book is a compilation of relevant essays in the deist controversy, including Hume's original essay and a number of other short works by authors such as John Locke, Richard Price and George Campbell. Thus it is a handy reference not only for Hume's argument but also for the entire context of the 18th century deist controversy.

The critique itself is thorough and detailed. Earman goesthrough Hume's argument piece-by-piece in 24 short chapters, showing the errors and equivocations in Hume's thinking at every step. The pièce de résistance is Earman's use of Bayesian probability theory to show exactly where Hume's argument falls apart. He even sketches out some suggestions as to how Bayesian probability could theoretically be used to prove a miracle. Some of that revolves around the principle of multiple witnessing, and how Bayesian probability mathematically demonstrates that the cumulative effect of multiple witnessing can overcome even very low prior probabilities for putative miracle claims. This points the way to possible proofs for the Resurrection, which of course was the miracle claim at the heart of the deist controversy - a miracle claim which Earman notes Hume never deigned to actually address in his essay, instead choosing to focus on some rather more dubious miracle claims as if these were representative of all miracle claims.

This book is not light reading, and not recommended for the casual reader. It is not popular level material and contains some very in-depth analytic philosophy including heavy use of the probability calculus. However, for those with a strong background and interest in analytic philosophy and who are looking for a detailed and thorough response to Hume's argument against miracle claims, this book is worth its weight in gold. This should be a standard reference for anyone serious about scholarly-level arguments for or against miracles.

Outstanding Piece of Scholarship
In Hume's Abject Failure - The Argument against Miracles, John Earman offers a cogent and comprehensive refutation of Hume's argument against miracles originally published as "On Miracles" in An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding.

Hume's contention is that given the "unique" nature of miracles no human testimony can suffice to render them credible - i.e. day-to-day experience necessarily trumps claims of the miraculous or novel. This argument has provoked interesting and occasionally heated discussion throughout the years.While containing some apparent truisms - such as the need for good reasons in an evidentiary construct and the gullibility of people- Hume's claims are generally viewed as being overstated.In criticising Hume, Earman is not arguing for the truth of any alleged miracles, rather he is contending that Hume's attempt to dismiss miracles a priori is unwarranted.It is interesting to consider the implications of Hume's assertion if it were true - much modern scientific theory such as quantum mechanics or Darwinism would be decimated.Some commentators have tried to minimize this logical extension by arguing that science deals with a different subject matter and as a consequence is immune from this criticism- this seems contrived and unconvincing.

Though not original in his assessment of Hume's failure, Earman's exposition of the issue is the most comprehensive and well articulated that I have encountered.He highlights two important factors that likely contributed to Hume's failure, an inadequate understanding of inductive argumentation and wishful thinking. With regard to former, Earman highlights many of Hume's shortcomings and in the process does a nice job in explaining Bayesian probability.

While, in regard to wishful thinking, seeing what we believe is not unique to Hume. It seems evident that reason can be skewed by belief and emotion.Arguments concerning ethics or faith issues are particularly notorious in this regard.As Earman notes, faith positions (e.g. naturalism or atheism) often seems to play a role in defences of Hume's argument against miracles.It is interesting that at the outset Earman feels compelled to state his lack of theistic belief - in an apparent effort to diffuse similar criticism.

This small book (approx. 200 pages) is divided into two parts.In the first part, Earman lays out his case, while the second part is comprised of various historic writings that pertain to the issue.These extracts include "On Miracles" and various other historic criticisms of Hume's. I find this structure very helpful - not having to go back and forth to primary sources.Aside from the lucidness of Earman's argument I was especially impressed by the quality of thought exhibited by some of Hume's early critics whom I had not previously encountered, Price is especially impressive.

Overall, this is an outstanding book.I highly recommend it to students of philosophical history and the philosophy of religion.

Hume humiliated.
According to Hume, uniform experience is against miracles such that a report of a miracle is always suspect. For Hume, it is always more likely there was no miracle than if there was a miracle. Of course, Hume only knows the probability is against miracles in all cases if he knows all the reports of miracles are false.

For this reason, Earman, in his book Hume's Abject Failure, notes that in the binary language of probability, the probability of a miracle is zero. In other words, Hume rules out miracles a priori without allowing for any empirical investigation of testimony to miracles. Hume's own position is essentially unfalsifiable and therefore meaningless since he will not allow any evidence to contravene his position against miracles. Why is Hume against miracles? Because of his deist position of freemasonry. Hume is quite inconsistent. While asserting (in his treatise on human nature) the inability to assert personal identity, due to a radical discontinuity of experience, he writes books as if he were a cognizant reflective ego that endures through time. Hume is a mixed back of deism, Gnosticism and radical empiricism. And from a contradiction, everything flows out of Hume that he wants to flow. According to Hume's thesis on self identity, based on the radical discontinuity of experience concerning the self, how is the self able to generalize and formulate uniform experience? Hume is notoriously inconsistent.

C. S. Lewis exposed the circular reasoning in Hume in the book by Lewis entitled "Miracles."David Hume is often portrayed as askeptic.On the contrary, he was a freemason and therefore a gnostic.He was skeptical of nongnostic positions, such as Christianity.He was an apologist for gnosticism.When looked at in that light, Christians are skeptics with respect to freemasonry.The title "skeptic" is a propaganda term much coveted by freemasons and juwes in order to assume the position of intellectual superiority.

Mr. Earman, who is nonChristian, has done a great job here in reviving criticism of Hume.Hume is worse than any god worshipped by any heathen since he demands uncompromising devotion to his position whether or not he is right or wrong.

Hume's chief argument against miracles is circular reasoning.Hume argues that miracles violate uniform experience.However, if uniform experience is against miracles, then they cannot happen."Uniform experience" is his presupposition.And he defines "uniform experience" to exclude miracles.In other words, he begs the question.If miracles didn't happen, well, they didn't happen.This is Hume's argument in its circular entirety.This criticism came from Lewis.Although, I have a better argument than Lewis's and Mr. Earman's.

I would simply point out that pure logic cannot dispense with the empirical question of whether miracles happen.Afterall, mathematics is made up of tautologies.As such, pure logic or pure mathematics cannot have physical meaning.Pure logic, as Hume employs, cannot tell us anything about the world.Therein lies the sophistry.It boils down to the distinction between analytic and synthetic statements.Whether or not miracles happen depend not on logic, but on the existence of God who intervenes in human affairs and human life.As the former atheist Antony Flew said, it is impossible to argue against the existence of God in light of the evidence of the obvious intelligent design of the universe.

As soon as Hume "defined" a term "uniform experience," and inserted it in his argument, he entered the world of pure logic.In that world, no matter how far you search and how much you struggle and no matter how much you indulge in rationcination, you will end up where you started: with nothing.Beware of someone who makes definitions in the process of their argument with you.

If anyone went to the moon and found a green house that supplied oxygen, food and other human necessities, they wouldn't hesitate to posit an intelligent creator of that house.So why would anyone question theexistence of God in light of this wonderful planet that supports our lives?

Atheism and pantheism are really the same thing.One denies God and the latter calls everything God."Miracles" only make sense in a universe with a monotheistic God, not in a universe where nature is postulated as a god.

Earman makes reference to modern physics, which is unnecessary.Newton's physics didn't give any credibility to Hume's arguments since his arguments were pure sophistry.Anyway, Newton already embarked on relativity theory in the querys to his Optics.Query number one and number thirty already impinged on general and special relativity respectively.(Einstein, who plagarized Josiah Willard Gibb's book "statistical mechanics" in the Einstein papers on brownian movement also plagarized special relativity theory.Poincare, Fitzgerald, Larmar and Lorentz already conceived of special relativity.And the equations for general relativity divided by zero.David Hilbert noted that Einstein's equations were wrong, and Friedmann, the Russian pointed out that Einstein divided by zero three times.)

Intelligent design is all you need to establish a creator.A creator is all you need to ground miracles.Earman's book should be read.It's a welcome treatise in an age of brainwashed academics.The relation of academics to their students is well summed up in the parable of Jesus: "When one blind man leads another blind man, sooner or later they will both fall into a pit."

Unlike all other religions, Christianity offers the empirically grounded fact of Jesus's resurrection from the dead.Accept Him as your savior or be subject to Him as your judge.

Excellent Application of Probability Theory
John Earman has written a wonderful book that shows the value of using the precision of probability theory to bring clarity to a murky issue.Long have certain philosophers marvelled at David Hume's essay, "On Miracles," supposing it to be an original and creative refutation of believing in miracles.Earman shows that Hume's arguments are neither original nor sound at establishing his pessimistic outlook on miracles.Moreover, using probability calculus, Earman is able to establish clearly that Hume's argument is a failure.In fact, Earman shows that many of Hume's contemporaries were familiar with probabilistic reasoning and were able to demonstrate Hume was wrong within in his own lifetime.So, not only was Hume wrong, but his failure cannot be attributed to the lack of development of inductive reasoning in his time.Earman works hard trying to understand what exactly Hume meant by examining Hume's personal letters and the developments of Hume's essay as it was published in various editions.After several attempts to read Hume charitably, Earman finds Hume's application of probabilistic reasoning is muddled and confused, at best.Furthermore, Earman shows that if Hume was right, this would spell disaster for inductive reasoning that confirms (or disconfirms) scientific reasoning.Those who endorse Hume's argument against miracles are supporting a line of reasoning that would eqully undermine science.

Earman's book is commendable for a number of reasons.First, it is a first-rate work in philosophy that is written clearly.Earman's rigor coupled with his readable prose make for a rewarding study.Second, this book makes significant contribution to Humean scholarship where Earman convincingly argues for various ways to interpret Hume, which he substantiates with cross-referencing the work of Hume and his interaction with his contemporaries.Third, the book is a powerful lesson in probability theory (especially Bayesianism).Some background in probabilistic reasoning may be needed to understand parts of the book, but even a cursory knowledge of probability theory will be nourished by Earman's work.Fourth, this book puts forward some substantial theories relevant to philosophy of religion, especially the nature of miracles.Fifth, the second half of the book is filled with important sources on the 18th century deist controversy, which are invaluable to studying probability and confirmation of miraculous events by eyewitness testimony.For those who find these issues to be important and wish to get a better handle on how to think clearly through these issues, this book will be a welcome piece of scholarship. ... Read more

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Hume on Religion introduces his major work on the subject, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion and assesses Hume's life and the background to the work. The ideas and text of the work are also considered along with Hume's continuing importance to philosophy today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Reason is the slave of the passions
I read this book for a graduate seminar on ethics.Hume's An Enquiry Concerning The Principles Of Morals (EPM)along with his staunch empirical approach to epistemology, has garnered him recognition as a "great skeptic" of the rationalist tradition in philosophy and recognition as the greatest philosopher to write in English.Hume's ethical project is concerned with discovering how people's nature dictates moral behavior and in discovering the moral virtues that society deems useful.Hume separates himself from the classical Greek notion of how an agent acts virtuously when he posits his thesis that people are incapable of using reason to sway their emotions or substantially influence their wills.Hume's theory regarding the process that agents use to act is a departure from the classical Greek model in that it relies on passion and is devoid of the idea of using practical reasoning to overcome feelings of fear to accomplish a noble end.For Hume, only a person's passions can choose their ends, and he denies that reason has the ability to evaluate their ends. Hume's notions on reason vastly contradicts the vast majority of ancient and modern philosophers' beliefs, regarding the amalgamation of human emotion and reason producing the practical reasoning to guide an agent to act.

Hume's anti-rationalist assertion that reason cannot be the major factor producing moral action provides the foundation for his entire ethical theory.In essence, Hume uses a causality argument to explain virtues and vices and what motivates people to make moral choices.Hume argues that what moves people are sentiments of pleasure, such as, pride or love, or pain, such as humility or hatred, as they either observe actions by others or contemplate performing acts of their own.Hume adopts a subjective view to morality.He argues that one cannot use reason or science to deduce "truths" in ethics.Actions are deemed virtuous by a particular society through judgments of approval or distaste of people's sentiments when observing or contemplating a particular action.With this ethical model, Hume posits the notion that there are only two types of virtues, "natural" and "artificial," and that courage is a natural virtue since it brings the pleasurable sentiment of praise and pride to the one who acts courageously.Hume leaves very little if any room for reason to either direct the people will, or even work in conjunction with people passions or emotions to form any kind of practical reasoning a person can rely on to guide them on a path to ethical behavior.

Hume presents a four-point catalogue of sentiments in his EPM that he thinks comprise virtues, and they are similar to Descartes' list of passions.In fact, like Descartes' descriptions of his passions, Hume's descriptions of the virtues are done in a similar vain and take up the bulk of the book.Hume's virtue of courage is found in section seven of the EPM under his third category entitled, Qualities immediately agreeable to ourselves.Hume describes this third category of sentiments as a list of personal merits, "...which is useful or agreeable to the person himself or to others, communicates a pleasure to the spectators, engages his esteem, and is admitted under the honourable denomination of virtue or merit." (EPM, 2. 1. 9. 12). Hume states that, "The utility of COURAGE, both to the public and to the person possessed of it, is an obvious foundation of merit."This opening line in Hume's description is not counter to the classical Greek ideal of courage.(EPM, 2. 1. 7. 11). Hume goes on to state, "But to anyone who duly considers of the matter, it will appear, that this quality has a peculiar luster, which it derives wholly from itself, and from that noble elevation inseparable from it."(EPM, 2. 1. 7. 11).This line in Hume's description describes courage more in line with the ancient Greek notion of courage as depicted in Homer's Iliad.This is borne out in Hume's last line of his description wherein he writes, "Its (courage)figure, drawn by painters and by poets, displays, in each feature, a sublimity and daring confidence; which catches the eye, engages the affections, and diffuses, by sympathy, a like sublimity of sentiment over every spectator." (EPM, 2. 1. 7. 11).

I find it interesting that Hume is the first philosopher since the classical Greeks to recognize, whether for good or bad, the influence the arts play on people's passions and its effects on their actions; particularly in regards to the virtue of courage.In addition, Hume, who during his lifetime enjoyed a reputation as a historian of great renown, uses examples from history to explain in his EPM how the virtue of courage has favorably worked on people's passions.For example, he writes that, "The martial temper of the Romans, enflamed by continual wars, had raised their esteem of courage so high, that, in their language, it was called virtue, by way of excellence and distinction from all other moral qualities."(EPM, 2. 1. 7. 13). Once again, Hume addresses artistic influence in undeveloped cultures, including the Homeric era in Greece, "...who have not, as yet, had full experience of the advantages attending beneficence, justice, and the social virtues, courage is the predominant excellence; what is most celebrated by poets, recommended by parents, and instructors, and admired by the public in general."EPM, 134, (EPM, 2. 1. 7. 15). Even classical Greek philosophers commented on this phenomenon.Aristotle in his Poetics, observes and accepts the notion that the depiction of tragic heroes on stage greatly influences the Greek understanding of courage.On the other hand, Plato, in his Republic, railed against Greek tragedy as a pernicious influence arguing that Greeks should be influenced by reason and not their passions.This is why Plato was so careful to point out that the Guardians of the city had to be taught the right type of literature to develop their courage.

Hume's historically rich description of the virtue of courage and how it is a virtue of passion with little if any influence from reason, shows the evolutionary change for the virtue of courage is a stark break from all the previous philosophers.'.Hume leaves very little if any room for reason to either direct the people will, or even work in conjunction with people passions or emotions to form any kind of practical reasoning a person can rely on to guide them on a path to ethical behavior.

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DICK.ON THE DEVIL ABOU'f thirty years ago I was selected by two J'ich 01(1 maids to visit a property in that part of Lancashire which lies neat tho fa~ mOllS forest of Pendle, with which Mr. Ains· worth's "J.Jancashire 1Vitches" has made ns so pleasantly familiar. l1y business was to Inako patti tion of. a small property, including a house ~ulll demesne to ,vbich they had, a long time before, succeeded as coheiresses. The last forty miles of nly journey I w"as o)ligcd to post, chicfly by cross-roads, little known, and less freCluenteli, and presenting scenery often extremely interesting and pretty. The pictnresque· ness of the landscape was enhanced by the season, the beginning of September) at which .1 waf) travclling. I had never been in this part of the wor]d before; I run told it is noW' a great deal less wiltl, and, consequently, less beautiful. At the inn w 11ere I had stoPIJed for 3. relay of horses and some dinner-for it was then past five 0' clo

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS; PAGE; DrcKoy 1'HR DEVIL, 9; A DEBT OF HOXOR ? 27; DEVEREuX'S DREA:ll, 59; CATHERISE'S QUEST, 89; HAUNTED, ? 115; PICHON ASD SONS, OF THE CROIX ROGSSE, 135; THE PHANTO:ll FOlJRTH, ? 163; THE SPIRIT'S WHISPER, ? 185; DR FEVERSHAM'S STORY, 209; THE SECRET OF THE Two PLASTER CASTS, 229; WHAT WAS IT? 241

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"Continuum's Reader's Guides" are clear, concise and accessible introductions to classic works of philosophy. Each book explores the major themes, historical and philosophical context and key passages of a major philosophical text, guiding the reader toward a thorough understanding of often demanding material. Ideal for undergraduate students, the guides provide an essential resource for anyone who needs to get to grips with a philosophical text. David Hume is widely considered to be the greatest British philosopher and his "Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding" is the most frequently studied of all his works - a key text in the study of empiricist thought. This is a hugely important and exciting, yet challenging, piece of philosophical writing. In "Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding: A Reader's Guide", Allen Bailey and Dan O'Brien explain the philosophical background against which the book was written and the key themes inherent in the text. The book then guides the reader to a clear understanding of the text as a whole, before exploring the reception and influence of this classic philosophical work.This is the ideal companion to study of this most influential and challenging of texts. ... Read more