An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

by David Hume
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding cover
Good Books rating 4.44
Philosophy
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  • ID: 5357
  • Added: 2025-10-23
  • Updated: 2025-10-24
  • Publisher: DigiCat
  • Published: 2022-05-28
  • Formats: 3
  • Reviews: 4

An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, published in 1748 by Scottish empiricist philosopher David Hume, is a seminal work that has left a lasting impact on philosophical discourse. Hume's exploration of human understanding and empiricism challenged traditional notions and sparked significant debate, earning it a place as a cornerstone of modern philosophical literature. /n/n The book's influence is evident in its ability to provoke deep reflection and inspire other thinkers, as seen in Immanuel Kant's acknowledgment of its profound effect on his own philosophical journey. Hume's work continues to be studied and admired for its clarity and insight into the nature of human knowledge and perception.

Reviews
Five Books · 2025-10-24
comforting 4.75

The book is described as wonderful and humane, offering a sense of relief and comfort in its exploration of human understanding. It is praised for its accessible style and engaging content.

This review describes 'An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding' as a wonderful and humane book that says nobody has all the answers. They felt a great weight lifted from their shoulders when reading it, highlighting the book's comforting and relieving qualities. The reviewer appreciates the book's accessible style and engaging content, which make complex ideas more approachable. They also note that the book's emphasis on experience and probability provides a fresh perspective on human understanding and knowledge. Overall, they find the book to be a valuable and insightful read.

Quick quotes

    This is a wonderful, humane book saying that nobody has all the answers.

    I felt that a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders when I read it.

    Hume's emphasis on experience and probability provides a fresh perspective on human understanding and knowledge.

The Storygraph · 2025-10-23
lucid 4.00

Hume explains things simply and clearly, emphasizing experience and probability in a lucid and sensible manner. The book is praised for its clarity and accessibility.

The reviewer highlights how Hume explains complex ideas in a simple and clear manner, making the book accessible to a wide audience. The emphasis on experience and probability is particularly noted, as it adds a layer of realism to the discussion. The reviewer appreciates the book's clarity and lucidity, finding it to be a sensible and rewarding read. The book's ability to make abstract concepts concrete is one of its strongest points, and the reviewer finds it to be a thought-provoking and engaging work. The discussions on skepticism and free will are particularly provocative, challenging readers to reconsider their own beliefs and assumptions.

Quick quotes

    Sensible and lucid. Hume explains things simply and clearly and never takes longer than necessary to do so.

    The emphasis on experience and probability rather ...

    In it he gives an elegant an accessible presentation of strikingly original and challenging views about the limited powers of human understanding, the ...

Warm Days Will Never Cease · 2023-12-13
enlightening 4.50

The book argues that causes and effects are understood through experience rather than reason, and this perspective is both challenging and enlightening. The writing is accessible and engaging, making complex ideas understandable.

This book presents a compelling argument that our understanding of causes and effects comes from experience, not pure reason. The reviewer finds this perspective both challenging and enlightening, as it shifts the way we think about knowledge and perception. The writing style is accessible and engaging, making complex philosophical ideas understandable to a broader audience. The reviewer appreciates how Hume simplifies intricate concepts without losing their depth, making the book both rewarding and thought-provoking. The emphasis on experience and probability adds a layer of realism to the discussion, making it relevant even today. The book's ability to make abstract ideas concrete is one of its strongest points.

Quick quotes

    Hume poses the argument that 'causes and effects are discoverable, not by reason but by experience'.

    The text may cost a little more, but the rewards of being ...

    The emphasis on experience and probability rather ...

Tarun Rattan · 2021-10-03
provocative 4.50

The book is a mature version of Hume's earlier work, presented in a non-academic style that makes it accessible and excellent for a wide range of readers. It remains provocative in its discussions of skepticism and free will.

This book is considered a mature version of Hume's earlier work, and its non-academic style makes it accessible and excellent for a wide range of readers. The reviewer appreciates how Hume presents complex ideas in a straightforward manner, making the book both engaging and thought-provoking. The discussions on skepticism and free will are particularly provocative, challenging readers to reconsider their own beliefs and assumptions. The book's ability to make abstract concepts concrete is one of its strongest points, and the reviewer finds it to be a rewarding read. The emphasis on experience and probability adds a layer of realism to the discussion, making it relevant even today.

Quick quotes

    An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding is a mature version of the Treatise, and in its relatively easy, non-academic style is an excellent ...

    Highly controversial in the 18th century, this work remains provocative in its discussions of the appeal of skepticism, the logical coexistence of free will and ...

    This is a wonderful, humane book saying that nobody has all the answers. I felt that a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders when I read it.

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