Customer Reviews

The Philosophers' Quarrel: Rousseau, Hume, and the Limits of Human Understanding

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If you are interested in the Age of Reason, or in the personalities and intellectual disagreements of some of the greatest minds of all time, this is one book you will want to read. The Philosophers' Quarrel gives us a close up and personal look at the dispute - both personal and philosophical - between former friends turned enemies David Hume and Jean-Jaques Rousseau. These are two of the towering figures of the Enlightenment, and some of the minor characters in the book are also very well known exponents of that age-defining movement: from Voltaire to Diderot, to the various women who famously hosted the salons that shaped the culture of the time. I must admit to a profound dislike for Rousseau and his ideas, and a comparable love of Hume, and this book - while in fact maintaining a fairly neutral tone - has validated my original impressions. Both thinkers were critical of the extreme program of the Enlightenment, recognizing the limits of reason and the necessity for a balance with the emotional side of being human. But Hume strived to reach a, well, reasonable medium, while Rousseau was out to destroy pretty much everything that makes for good philosophy, in the process also demonstrating a degree of misanthropy and ingratitude to his friends (including Hume) that is simply astounding. The actions of the two protagonists, set against the intellectually magnificent backdrop of Paris and London, make for fascinating reading. And the chapter on "How philosophers die" is simply very moving - again, though, thanks pretty much only to Hume.

This was definitely a page turner and a wonderful compendium of many things philosophical and cultural of this era in Europe. The quarrel between these lionized philosophers had much of the public's attention, not to mention the attention of heads of state and fellow philosophers. This is something that may be a little hard to imagine in our day and time, a philosopher's quarrel! Who might our contemporary philosophers be, and what would be the quarrel that would have such consequences.

There is much to learn and be reminded of here, and a very enjoyable read along the way.

A bit disappointing, this one. In describing the falling-out between Hume and Rousseau, the emphasis is not so much on the limits of human understanding, as its subtitle promises, but more on personal differences. The reader gets a good idea of the amiable Hume trying his best to support the hypersensitive Rousseau, or Old Ross Hall as the locals in northern England used to call him. There are some nice scenes depicting Rousseau in his Armenian coat walking his beloved dog Sultan and a hilarious account of him visiting the theatre attended by King George lll and an unruly audience, all anxious to get a glimpse of the famous philosopher.

We also get a taste of the acuity and pettiness of "the skeletal genius" Voltaire, who from the sidelines follows and comments on the developments. In a painting by Jean Huber, he is seen getting out of bed while dictating a letter to his secretary, no doubt blackening the reputation of his arch-enemy Rousseau. Sometimes the stories in The Philosophers' Quarrel amount to little more than gossip. The famous visit of James Boswell at Hume's deathbed is included, where one wonders about the relevance of how many times Boswell had caught a venereal disease. In an earlier instance, we're also informed he couldn't properly "perform".

All in all, a pleasant read. The philosophers are rendered lifelike, warts and all, but with more of a weekly magazine feel to it than one would perhaps have expected from the two stern-looking professors gazing at you on the back flap.

I'm half way through this book and I hope it soon lives up to its title. So far though it's been strong on biographical info and very weak on intellectual history as I had hoped for. If you're interested in where and when Hume and Rousseau lived in various places, this is the book for you. If, like me, you want to know more about their ideas, perhaps another book would be better.