Observations on Man
His Frame, his Duty, and his Expectations

Published in 1749, Hartley's two-volume analysis of human nature, blending philosophy and psychology, influenced scientists, theologians, social reformers and poets.

David Hartley (Author)

9781108063623, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 31 October 2013

538 pages
21.6 x 14 x 3 cm, 0.68 kg

The orphaned son of an Anglican clergyman, David Hartley (1705–57) was originally destined for holy orders. Declining to subscribe to the Thirty-Nine Articles, he turned to medicine and science yet remained a religious believer. This, his most significant work, provides a rigorous analysis of human nature, blending philosophy, psychology and theology. First published in two volumes in 1749, Observations on Man is notable for being based on the doctrine of the association of ideas. It greatly influenced scientists, theologians, social reformers and poets: Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who named his eldest son after Hartley, had his portrait painted while holding a copy. In Volume 1, Hartley utilises Newtonian science in his observations. He presents a theory of 'vibrations', explaining how the elements of the nerves and brain interact as a result of stimulation, creating 'associations' and emotions.

Preface
Introduction
1. Of the general laws
2. The application of the doctrines of vibrations
3. A particular application of the foregoing theory
4. The six classes of intellectual pleasures
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Western philosophy: c 1600 to c 1900 [HPCD]