Hume (Arguments of the Philosophers) [Paperback]

Barry Stroud (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 1981 | ISBN-10: 0415036879 | ISBN-13: 978-0415036870 | Edition: Reissue

Many recent books on Hume have concentrated only on particular issues in his philosophy and have presented at best a fragmentary picture. This study, which is intelligible to the virtual beginner in philosophy as well as being of interest to Hume scholars and to philosophers dealing with the problems he discussed, offers a more consistent, unified interpretation and emphasizes the interest and importance of Hume's views for philosophers today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... a rounded picture of Hume's philosophical intentions as a whole." -- Times Literary Supplement

About the Author

Barry Stroud is Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley. His philosophical writings have included studies of Wittgenstein and Quine in addition to examinations of transcendental arguments, knowledge and scepticism, logical necessity and meaning, and related topics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; Reissue edition (March 17, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415036879
• ISBN-13: 978-0415036870
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #966,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Introduction to a Difficult Philosopher, November 27, 2007

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John D. White "camsterdad" (Cayce, South Carolina United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hume (Arguments of the Philosophers) (Paperback)

This is a beautifully written expose of Hume's philosophy; it is clear, well-presented, and extremely useable. Professor Stroud is to be commended for this addition to the series. Having a theological background--philosophy is sometimes difficult for me to make sense of--this book helped me feel less obtuse about David Hume and his philosophy. It is nicely thought out, laid out, and presented in terms the regular person can understand, particularly if they are working through philosophy on their own. A book well worth the money!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for the Hume novice, October 15, 2008

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Dewdrop (Taipei Taiwan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hume (Arguments of the Philosophers) (Paperback)

I bought this book because I wanted a short, clear, well-written overview of Hume's philosophy. Unfortunately this book isn't what I expected.

First, this isn't a general overview. The author goes into a great deal of detail on some points (such as Hume's theories of perception), while other major aspects of Hume's thought are totally ignored (such as his views of religion). And the prose is far from simple. Rather than simply describing Hume's arguments, the author engages and critiques the ideas at length. This is complicated stuff, and it takes quite a bit of effort to follow the arguments.

If you want to know about Hume's major theories in great detail, you might be interested in this book. But if you just want an introduction to Hume, you should definitely look elsewhere.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent SECOND book to read about Hume, July 29, 2011

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SL (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hume (Arguments of the Philosophers) (Paperback)

This book is not an intro to Hume -- rather, it is a very clear, accessible discussion of the merits of Hume's basic positions (e.g. his views on causation, personal identity, etc.). I would highly recommend this book for someone who has some familiarity with Hume's basic views, and is looking to understand Hume a little more deeply by examining the merits and drawbacks of his positions.