Hume / (English Men of Letters Series)

A compact intellectual biography recounts his family background, formative years, early literary and political activity, later public appointments, and work on national history, while noting personal traits and public reception. A sustained philosophical analysis presents his account of impressions and ideas, the classification of mental operations, comparisons with animal cognition, and the role of language in shaping necessary truths. The work then examines his arguments concerning miracles, the evolution of theological thought, the nature of the soul and immortality, debates over liberty and necessity, and the principles underlying moral judgment.