Between Hume's Philosophy and History: Historical Theory and Practice - Softcover

Wertz, Spencer K.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0761815449 ISBN 13: 9780761815440

Publisher: University Press of America, 2000

Synopsis

This book explores the historical dimension of David Hume's philosophy, a feature that Spencer Wertz calls 'historical empiricism.' According to Wertz, Hume sought to understand the present in terms of the past in a way that anticipates the historical constructionism of R.G. Collingwood and Herbert Butterfield. Hume's method is to tell a story about something's origin in which ideas yield impressions. These impressions eventually yield to experience that includes history as part of its structure. Arguing that Hume worked between history and philosophy, Wertz demonstrates that Hume's historical empiricism consists of four key concepts. These concepts are history, human nature, experience, and nature, all of which play a role in historical narration, taste, moral judgments, and the historiography of science. Bringing new insights to the study of Hume's work, this book will be an important resource for scholars of philosophy.

About this title

About the Author:

Spencer K. Wertz is Professor of Philosophy at Texas Christian University.

About this edition

• Publisher: University Press of America
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0761815449
• ISBN 13: 9780761815440
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176