Scott Yenor argues that David Hume's reputation as a skeptic is greatly exaggerated and that Hume's skepticism is a moment leading Hume to defend common life philosophy and the humane commercial republic. Gentle, humane virtues reflect the proper reaction to the complex mixture of human faculties that define the human condition.

David Hume's Humanity: The Philosophy of Common Life and Its Limits **not only presents a synoptic vision of Hume's thought, but also argues that an amended version of it remains vital and relevant today especially to political philosophy. (Nathan Sasser,Journal of Scottish Philosophy, Vol. 17 (1), 2019)

Autorentext

Scott Yenor is a Professor of Political Science at Boise State University, USA, where he teaches political philosophy. He is the author of Family Politics: The Idea of Marriage in Modern Political Thought (2011). He earned his PhD in Political Science from Loyola University Chicago.

Inhalt

1. The Promise of Hume's Philosophy of Common Life
2. 'Nothing but Sophistry and Illusion': Metaphysical Speculation Before Hume
3. Active Sovereignty in Natural and Moral Philosophy
4. 'Mitigated Scepticism' and Our 'Mixed Kind of Life': The Philosophic Modesty of Hume's Science of Common Life
5. The Liberal Imagination and the Problem of Abstract Speculative Principles in Politics
6. Humanity and Commerce
7. Religious Revolution and England's Humane Political Constitution
8. Religious Belief and Hume's Philosophy of Common Life
9. Humanity and Theology in Hume's Religious Dialogues
10. Toward a More Philosophical Philosophy of Common Life