A Treatise of Human Nature

Hume was still in his twenties when he tried to bring the experimental method of the sciences to the study of the human mind. He examines how we form ideas, why we believe in cause and effect, and what holds the self together, reaching conclusions that unsettled philosophy for centuries. Reason, he argues, is and ought to be the slave of the passions, and many of our firmest beliefs rest on habit rather than proof. The book sold poorly at first, falling, in his own words, dead-born from the press, yet it became a cornerstone of empiricism and a lasting challenge to anyone who thinks knowledge rests on solid ground. Published between 1739 and 1740. Free to download as a PDF or EPUB.