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The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.I., Part A. From the Britons of Early Times to King John
HardPress Classic Books Series
- GenresHistory
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2012
52 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
About the author
David Hume
3,163 books1,714 followersDavid Hume was a Scottish historian, philosopher, economist, diplomat and essayist known today especially for his radical philosophical empiricism and scepticism.
In light of Hume's central role in the Scottish Enlightenment, and in the history of Western philosophy, Bryan Magee judged him as a philosopher "widely regarded as the greatest who has ever written in the English language." While Hume failed in his attempts to start a university career, he took part in various diplomatic and military missions of the time. He wrote The History of England which became a bestseller, and it became the standard history of England in its day.
His empirical approach places him with John Locke, George Berkeley, and a handful of others at the time as a British Empiricist.
Beginning with his A Treatise of Human Nature (1739), Hume strove to create a total naturalistic "science of man" that examined the psychological basis of human nature. In opposition to the rationalists who preceded him, most notably René Descartes, he concluded that desire rather than reason governed human behaviour. He also argued against the existence of innate ideas, concluding that humans have knowledge only of things they directly experience. He argued that inductive reasoning and therefore causality cannot be justified rationally. Our assumptions in favour of these result from custom and constant conjunction rather than logic. He concluded that humans have no actual conception of the self, only of a bundle of sensations associated with the self.
Hume's compatibilist theory of free will proved extremely influential on subsequent moral philosophy. He was also a sentimentalist who held that ethics are based on feelings rather than abstract moral principles, and expounded the is–ought problem.
Hume has proved extremely influential on subsequent western philosophy, especially on utilitarianism, logical positivism, William James, the philosophy of science, early analytic philosophy, cognitive philosophy, theology and other movements and thinkers. In addition, according to philosopher Jerry Fodor, Hume's Treatise is "the founding document of cognitive science". Hume engaged with contemporary intellectual luminaries such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, James Boswell, and Adam Smith (who acknowledged Hume's influence on his economics and political philosophy). Immanuel Kant credited Hume with awakening him from "dogmatic slumbers".
In light of Hume's central role in the Scottish Enlightenment, and in the history of Western philosophy, Bryan Magee judged him as a philosopher "widely regarded as the greatest who has ever written in the English language." While Hume failed in his attempts to start a university career, he took part in various diplomatic and military missions of the time. He wrote The History of England which became a bestseller, and it became the standard history of England in its day.
His empirical approach places him with John Locke, George Berkeley, and a handful of others at the time as a British Empiricist.
Beginning with his A Treatise of Human Nature (1739), Hume strove to create a total naturalistic "science of man" that examined the psychological basis of human nature. In opposition to the rationalists who preceded him, most notably René Descartes, he concluded that desire rather than reason governed human behaviour. He also argued against the existence of innate ideas, concluding that humans have knowledge only of things they directly experience. He argued that inductive reasoning and therefore causality cannot be justified rationally. Our assumptions in favour of these result from custom and constant conjunction rather than logic. He concluded that humans have no actual conception of the self, only of a bundle of sensations associated with the self.
Hume's compatibilist theory of free will proved extremely influential on subsequent moral philosophy. He was also a sentimentalist who held that ethics are based on feelings rather than abstract moral principles, and expounded the is–ought problem.
Hume has proved extremely influential on subsequent western philosophy, especially on utilitarianism, logical positivism, William James, the philosophy of science, early analytic philosophy, cognitive philosophy, theology and other movements and thinkers. In addition, according to philosopher Jerry Fodor, Hume's Treatise is "the founding document of cognitive science". Hume engaged with contemporary intellectual luminaries such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, James Boswell, and Adam Smith (who acknowledged Hume's influence on his economics and political philosophy). Immanuel Kant credited Hume with awakening him from "dogmatic slumbers".
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 18, 2025
This was a very influential book of English history in its day, the work which established Hume's name and fortune. This particular volume was among the last written in the series, and I believe it was an afterthought for Hume, because he so despised the Middle Ages, its customs and religion. He disdains the whole Anglo-Saxon period, though admits much to be admired about Alfred the Great. He regards the revolutions of the Danish conquest, the restoration of the House of Wessex, then the Norman Conquest with an impassive eye, though he generally speaks of William the Conqueror warmly. His hatred of Christianity and anti-clericalism is shown throughout, entirely taking the side of Henry I against Anselm and Henry II against Becket.
English history, as presented by the Whigs, is a story of the English people gradually forming laws and a constitution directed towards liberty. This was the idea that inspired Lord Macauley in his history, this was the ideal of English liberty so sacred to the American founders. Hume's work is revisionist in that regard. To him, history is not an arc bending towards justice, it is merely a mirthless record of human folly. Hume is the first de-bunker, the first fact-checker, the first textual critic and the first deconstructionist. He casts judgements, but not on the basis of morality, rather on what he considers to be good policy. There is no romanticism in his work, and only the faintest glimmer of sentiment and regard for Alfred or Magna Carta. All else is cast in the colors of Hume's impassive eye. I cannot bring myself to love this work, and it is with difficulty that I prevent myself from utterly hating David Hume.
English history, as presented by the Whigs, is a story of the English people gradually forming laws and a constitution directed towards liberty. This was the idea that inspired Lord Macauley in his history, this was the ideal of English liberty so sacred to the American founders. Hume's work is revisionist in that regard. To him, history is not an arc bending towards justice, it is merely a mirthless record of human folly. Hume is the first de-bunker, the first fact-checker, the first textual critic and the first deconstructionist. He casts judgements, but not on the basis of morality, rather on what he considers to be good policy. There is no romanticism in his work, and only the faintest glimmer of sentiment and regard for Alfred or Magna Carta. All else is cast in the colors of Hume's impassive eye. I cannot bring myself to love this work, and it is with difficulty that I prevent myself from utterly hating David Hume.
June 27, 2015
Previously, my only knowledge of David Hume was from the Monty Python "Philosopher Song". I frankly wasn't sure how accurate a history written over 200 years ago without our present-day access to Wikipedia and so on might be. But having just finished "The Last Kingdom" by Bernard Cornwell and knowing very little about that era of history, I wanted to learn more.
It may be true that "David Hume could out-consume Schopenhauer and Hegel", but he could also write, and what's more, his research seemed to be chiefly based on research of sources contemporary to the events in his history (with references). The history focuses chiefly on the monarchies and religious/political structures of the birth of England, and there is good coverage of the development of England's class system. I recommend this book to students of history, but I think it is more than accessible to even the casual reader.
It may be true that "David Hume could out-consume Schopenhauer and Hegel", but he could also write, and what's more, his research seemed to be chiefly based on research of sources contemporary to the events in his history (with references). The history focuses chiefly on the monarchies and religious/political structures of the birth of England, and there is good coverage of the development of England's class system. I recommend this book to students of history, but I think it is more than accessible to even the casual reader.
October 14, 2016
Most informative, clarifying and praiseworthy.
September 12, 2016
Boring!
Horribly boring and lengthy. Needs a proofreader and editor! Too too many commas and other punctuation marks. Run-on sentences. Misspellings.
Horribly boring and lengthy. Needs a proofreader and editor! Too too many commas and other punctuation marks. Run-on sentences. Misspellings.
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January 3, 2017Finally accepting that this one is going to be a DNF. Far too dry for my tastes. Sorry, Hume.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews