Hume's Philosophical Politics

This is a study of Hume's political thought based on a survey of all his writings.

Duncan Forbes (Author)

9780521319973, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 24 January 1985

356 pages
21.6 x 14 x 2 cm, 0.45 kg

Review of the hardback: 'Mr Forbes succeeds admirably as Hume's philosophical politics is scrupulously analysed against the background of events and thought of his predecessors and contemporaries … Specialists in eighteenth-century English history and philosophy should welcome this addition to Hume scholarship and perhaps it may be regarded as a standard work …' History

This is a study of Hume's political thought based on a survey of all his writings in their original and revised versions, with full reference to the works of predecessors and contemporaries, including journalists, pamphleteers and historians. Hume's political thinking is presented in its historical context as an innovative, 'philosophical', empirically based system of politics for a radical post-revolutionary age, and a political education for parochial, backward-looking party men.

Introductory preface
Abbreviations
Part I. The Foundations of Politics: 1. The experimental method in morals: the natural law forerunners
2. A modern theory of Natural Law
3. Political obligation for 'moderate men'
4. Social experience and the uniformity of human nature
Part II. Philosophical Politics: 5. Scientific and vulgar Whiggism
6. Applied philosophy, genuine and false: Hume and the Court and Country parties in 1741–1742
7. The primacy of political institutions
Part III. Philosophical History: 8. The History of England: philosophical history as establishment history
9. The limits of philosophical history
Appendix
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: History of ideas [JFCX]