Book 1: Of the Understanding

E84640

Book 1: Of the Understanding is the first major section of David Hume’s *A Treatise of Human Nature*, in which he develops his influential empiricist theory of human cognition, ideas, and knowledge.


Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf part of philosophical treatise
philosophical book section
author David Hume
centralClaim all the contents of the mind derive from impressions
causal reasoning is grounded in custom rather than reason
our belief in necessary connection is a product of mental habit
containedIn Volume 1 of A Treatise of Human Nature
countryOfOrigin Great Britain
developsTheoryOf abstract ideas
custom and habit
impressions and ideas
personal identity (as a problem of understanding)
probability
relations of ideas and matters of fact
firstPublication 1739
focusesOn association of ideas
causation
induction
nature of belief
origin of ideas
skepticism about reason
genre early modern epistemology
treatise on human nature
hasKeyConcept association
cause and effect
idea
impression
necessary connection
skepticism
hasSection Of Knowledge and Probability
Of Scepticism and Other Systems of Philosophy
Of the Ideas of Space and Time
Of the Origin of Our Ideas
influenced later empiricist philosophers
modern epistemology
philosophy of mind
theory of knowledge
language English
mainTopic human cognition
human understanding
ideas
knowledge
partOf A Treatise of Human Nature
philosophicalMovement early modern philosophy
philosophicalTradition empiricism
positionInWork Book 1
workForm prose philosophical argument

Referenced by (2)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Book 2: Of the Passions
follows
A Treatise of Human Nature
hasPart

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