Essays On The Principles Of Human Action; On The Systems Of Hartley And Helvetius - Softcover

William Hazlitt

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0371699681 ISBN 13: 9780371699683

Publisher: HardPress, 2021

Synopsis

Essays On The Principles Of Human Action; On The Systems Of Hartley And Helvetius; And On Abstract Ideas. By The Late W. Hazlitt. Edited By His Son W. Hazlitt, The Younger. This edition gathers Hazlitt’s early philosophical writings, including his notable investigation of the nature of human action, a critique of Hartley’s and Helvetius’s theories of motive and self-interest, and an extensive examination of abstract ideas. The central essay argues that humans are naturally disinterested in a genuine sense, contending that benevolence and self-love originate from truthfully described mental processes, habit, and imagination rather than from an inherent selfish core. Hazlitt challenges the Hartleian account of association and mechanical self-interest, offering a defense of a grounded morality anchored in foresight, empathy, and the imagination of future consequences. In the companion sections, he traces the origins of personal identity, the bonds between past, present, and future selves, and the limits of abstract general ideas, engaging with Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Condillac to defend the place of abstraction in thought, language, and moral reasoning.

Edition details

• Publisher: HardPress
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0371699681
• ISBN 13: 9780371699683
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 196