David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding **** 1/2

Human blindness and weakness is the result of all philosophy, and meets us at every turn, in spite of our endeavours to elude or avoid it. .... Nature has kept us at a great distance from all her secrets, and has afforded us only the knowledge of a few superficial qualities of objects; while she conceals from us those powers and principles on which the influence of those objects entirely depends.

I came to this philosophical classic well acquainted with its main arguments and its extensive influence, but discovered the benefits of returning to original sources. On the one hand, it takes a while to get used to Hume's 18th century prose; on the other, I was surprised how often he sounds totally modern. For example, Hume's description of the chain of cause-and-effect leading from a past event to our current belief sounds almost exactly like Kripke or Putnam's account of reference, and his idea that belief is a feeling or sentiment anticipates James' pragmatism.

It was enjoyable and illuminating to read Hume's arguments in their original context and without modern commentary.

In all abstract reasonings there is one point of view which, if we can happily hit, we shall go farther towards illustrating the subject than by all the eloquence and copious expression in the world. This point of view we should endeavour to reach, and reserve the flowers of rhetoric for subjects which are more adapted to them.