A Treatise of Human Nature (Abstract) - Wikipedia





	
	

	
	

	A Treatise of Human Nature (Abstract)

	
		From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

		

		

		
		

		Jump to navigation
		Jump to search
		An Abstract of a Book lately Published, full title An Abstract of a Book lately Published; Entitled, A Treatise of Human Nature, &c. Wherein the Chief Argument of that Book is farther Illustrated and Explained is a summary of the main doctrines of David Hume's work A Treatise of Human Nature, published anonymously in 1740.  There has been speculation about the authorship of the work. Some scholars believe it was written by Hume's friend, the economist Adam Smith.  Most believe it was written by Hume himself, in an attempt to popularise the Treatise.

In The Philosophical Quarterly in 1976, and again in Hume Studies 1991, J. O. Nelson challenged the received view that Hume wrote the Abstract, arguing that Adam Smith wrote it. His case depends on the identity of the 'Mr Smith' referred
to in a letter of 4 March, 1740 from Hume at Ninewells to Francis Hutcheson at Glasgow. 


	My Bookseller has sent to Mr Smith a Copy of my Book, which I hope he has receiv‘d, as well as your Letter. I have not yet heard what he has done with the Abstract. Perhaps you have. I have got it printed in London; but not in the Works of the Learned; there having been an article with regard to my Book, somewhat abusive, printed in that Work, before I sent up the Abstract?


Keynes and Sraffa argued that the "Mr Smith" was John Smith, Hutcheson’s Dublin publisher, and that Hume wrote the Abstract (as all the internal evidence suggests). Norman Kemp Smith, in a review of the Keynes and Sraffa edition, also accepted this, as well as pointing out the entry on Hume in Watkins Biographical Dictionary attributing authorship of the Abstract to Hume, suggesting that the author of the entry possessed inside information about Hume’s motives in publishing the Abstract.  Nelson has argued that "Mr Smith" was Adam Smith (at that time, still a student).  David Raynor has argued that all of the presently available internal and external evidence suggests that Hume wrote the Abstract.


References[edit]

	R.W.Connon, M. Pollard, "On the authorship of Hume's Abstract", The Philosophical Quarterly 1977 .
	John O. Nelson, "The Authorship of the Abstract Revisited," Hume Studies 17, no. 1 (April 1991): 83-86.
	John O. Nelson, "Has the Authorship of An Abstract of a Treatise of Human Nature Really Been Decided?" The Philosophical Quarterly 26, no. 102 (January 1976): 91.
	"New Books", Norman Kemp Smith, Mind 1938 XLVII(188):522-524,
	An Abstract of a Book lately Published; Entitled, A Treatise of Human Nature, &c. Wherein the Chief Argument of that Book is farther Illustrated and Explained, (London, 1740).
	"The Authorship of the Abstract Revisited" David Raynor, Hume Studies, Volume XIX, Number 1 (April, 1993) 213-215 [1].


		v
	t
	e


David Hume

	Books	
	A Treatise of Human Nature
	An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
	An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals
	Essays, Moral, Political, and Literary
	Four Dissertations
	Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
	The History of England
	The History of Great Britain






	Criticism	
	Argument for the existence of God from design
	Problem of induction
	Is–ought problem




	Philosophy	
	Hume's principle
	Hume's law
	Hume's fork
	The Missing Shade of Blue
	"Of Miracles"
	Scottish Enlightenment
	Empiricism
	Price–specie flow mechanism




	Related	
	Hume Studies
	A Treatise of Human Nature (Abstract)














Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Treatise_of_Human_Nature_(Abstract)&oldid=984691014"


		Categories: 	1740 books
	David Hume
	Philosophy books
	Works published anonymously
	Treatises


Hidden categories: 	AC with 0 elements




	




	





	Navigation menu

	
		

	
		Personal tools
	

	
			Not logged in
	Talk
	Contributions
	Create account
	Log in


		
	



		
			

	
		Namespaces
	

	
			Article
	Talk


		
	



			

	
	
		Variants
	

	
		

		
	



		

		
			

	
		Views
	

	
			Read
	Edit
	View history


		
	



			

	
	
		More
	

	
		

		
	



			
	
		Search
	

	
		
			
			
			
			
		

	




		

	

	

	
		
	

	

	
		Navigation
	

	
			Main page
	Contents
	Current events
	Random article
	About Wikipedia
	Contact us
	Donate


		
	



	

	
		Contribute
	

	
			Help
	Learn to edit
	Community portal
	Recent changes
	Upload file


		
	




	
		Tools
	

	
			What links here
	Related changes
	Upload file
	Special pages
	Permanent link
	Page information
	Cite this page
	Wikidata item


		
	




	
		Print/export
	

	
			Download as PDF
	Printable version


		
	



	

	
		Languages
	

	
			Tiếng Việt


		Edit links

	









		 This page was last edited on 21 October 2020, at 14:43 (UTC).
	Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License;
additional terms may apply.  By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.



		Privacy policy
	About Wikipedia
	Disclaimers
	Contact Wikipedia
	Mobile view
	Developers
	Statistics
	Cookie statement