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An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding by David Hume

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_tourist's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

"Animals, therefore, are not guided in these inferences by reasoning: Neither are children: Neither are the generality of mankind, in their ordinary actions and conclusions: Neither are philosophers themselves, who, in all the active parts of life, are, in the main, the same with the vulgar, and are governed by the same maxims. Nature must have provided some other principle, of more ready, and more general use and application; nor can an operation of such immense consequence in life, as that of inferring effects from causes, be trusted to the uncertain process of reasoning and argumentation" (94, 9:5).

tedloaf's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective

4.0

spav's review against another edition

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2.0

This book has two different views for me. First of the views isconcerning the contents. On it, Hume unleashes his tremendously abstract mind to tackle the 'understanding' of concepts, the concept of 'ideas' and the process of 'thinking' itself as well as digs into the concept of the skepticism. He does so in a tremendously deep, detailed and very ornamented style, even though he uses some lines to praise against this kind of philosophy, in my opinion he falls in the same trap (maybe is just I'm not used to way to use the language to express ideas in that century).

The other view of the book for me is the intense and deep study that Peter Millican gives us in this edition. Dissecting every part of the book and putting it into matter and time in few pages. Perhaps the best from the book is this study, that makes easier to understand Hume's mindset.

ameliayawen's review against another edition

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informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

mrangelmarino's review against another edition

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challenging inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

alanffm's review against another edition

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4.0

An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding is both the ultimate skeptic's bible and a great introduction to epistemology. Hume's adoption and application of Descartian doubt leads him to "the problem of induction," a proposition stating that all inductive reasoning can at best only justify itself through circular logic and false premises. Stated differently, Hume shows that it is impossible for all acquired knowledge, what he calls "matter of fact knowledge" to be proven through reason. Hume's "solution" to this radical philosophical conundrum is to just live life pleasantly and in service of positive emotions and feeling. Reason ought to serve the needs and desires that emerge from within us, and not the other way around.

The book is short, but dense. Hume is a very witty and funny writer who manages to keep things fresh with his many sub-chapters on animals, education, miracles, probability and even reflections on the popular philosophies of his time.