Produced by Gdurb
Introductions to Books I and II of
David Hume’s Treatise of Human Nature
Thomas Hill Green
A Treatise of Human Nature, being an attempt to introduce the
Experimental Method of Reasoning into Moral Subjects and Dialogues
Concerning Natural Religion
by David Hume,
Edited, with preliminary dissertation and Notes, by T.H. Greenand T.H. Grose
London, Longmans Green & Co, 1874
Transcriber's Note:
The Introduction to Book I is taken from an 1898 reprint; that to
Book II from an 1882 reprint, both by Longmans.
The tables of contents have been changed to refer to paragraphsinstead of pages, as was done by R.L. Nettleship in his edition ofGreen's Philosophical Works. The paragraph numbers are the same asin the originals, and as in Nettleship's edition.
The Notes which were printed in the margins of the originals havebeen placed as captions above the relevant paragraphs.
Green’s footnotes have been placed below the paragraphs to which theyrelate. Because this book does not contain Hume’s text, where Greencites Hume by page number, a reference to the relevant section hasbeen added in square brackets. Greek phrases are translated infootnotes marked "Tr."
In this edition we have sought to avoid the inconveniences which areapt to attend commentaries on philosophical writers, by the planof putting together, in the form of continuous introductions, suchexplanation and criticism as we had to offer, and confining thefootnotes almost entirely to references, which have been carefullydistinguished from Hume’s own notes. For the introductions tothe first and second volumes Mr. Green alone is responsible. Theintroduction to the third is the work of Mr. Grose, who also hasundertaken the revision of Hume’s text.
Throughout the introductions to Volumes I. and II., except wherethe contrary is stated, ‘Hume’ must be understood to mean Hume asrepresented by the ‘Treatise on Human Nature.’ In taking this asintrinsically the best representation of his philosophy, we maybe thought to have overlooked the well-known advertisement which(in an edition posthumously published) he prefixed to the volumecontaining his ‘Inquiries concerning the Human Understanding andthe Principles of Morals.’ In it, after stating that the volume,is mainly a reproduction of what he had previously published inthe ‘Treatise,’ he expresses a hope that ‘some negligences in hisformer reasoning, and more in the expression,’ have been corrected,and desires ‘that the following Pieces may alone be regarded ascontaining his philosophical sentiments and principles.’ Was not Humehimself then, it may be asked, the best judge of what was an adequateexpression of his thoughts, and is there not an unbecoming assurancein disregarding such a voice from his tomb?
Our answer is that if we had been treating of Hume as a greatliterary character, or exhibiting the history of his individualmind, due account must have been taken of it. Such, however, has notbeen the object which, in the Introductions to Volumes I. and II.,we have presented to ourselves, (See Introd. to Vol. I. § 4.) Ourconcern has been with him as the exponent of a philosophical system,and therefore specially with that statement of his system whichalone purports to be complete, and which was written when philosophywas still his chief interest, without alloy from the disappointmentof literary ambition. Anyone who will be at the pains to read the‘Inquir