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Open Philosophy LibraryAn Enquiry Concerning Human UnderstandingDavid Hume

An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

By David Hume

David Hume's An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding investigates the origin, structure and limits of human knowledge. Its twelve Sections distinguish impressions from ideas, analyse association, separate relations of ideas from matters of fact, expose the problem of induction, and explain causal belief through custom. Hume also examines probability, liberty and necessity, animal reasoning, miracles, natural religion and mitigated scepticism. First published in 1748, it is a foundational work of empiricism and modern epistemology.

Publication
1748; posthumous 1777 text, Selby-Bigge edition 1902
Genre
Empiricism; epistemology; philosophy of mind and religion
Era
18th Century, Early Modern Philosophy

About this work

First published in 1748, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding is David Hume's mature investigation of the powers and limits of human reason. Hume traces ideas to prior impressions and describes resemblance, contiguity and causation as principles connecting thought. His copy principle supplies a test for obscure philosophical concepts. The Enquiry distinguishes relations of ideas from matters of fact and argues that causal inference cannot be justified by demonstration or non-circular appeal to experience. Custom, not proof, produces expectation and belief. Later Sections apply this naturalistic account to probability, necessary connexion, free action, animal learning and testimony. Hume's discussion of miracles asks whether reports can outweigh established natural regularity. The final Sections examine religious inference and scepticism. Hume rejects both dogmatic metaphysics and unliveable universal doubt, recommending a modest philosophy disciplined by experience and awareness of human cognitive limits.

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