New Essays on David Hume

New Essays on David Hume presents a collection of contributions from eminent scholars who cover a wide range of Humean topics: philosophy, politics, religion and history. In winter 1967 the Italian philosopher Mario Dal Pra edited an international special issue of the "Rivista di storia della filosofia" entirely devoted to Hume. After forty years, this new collection provides a new assessment. The volume is divided into four sections. The first opens with the question of naturalism and closes with scepticism. Moral philosophy is at the heart of the second section, which also deals with the relation between Hume and Hutcheson. The third spans from the History of England and how it was appropriated by de Maistre and Constant, to the American reception of Hume's work and its connection with American deism. The last section is devoted to the presentation of recent Humeana: the new scholarly edition of the Treatise and two edited volumes on Hume and on his European reception.
Critical trends and fashions in Hume scholarship keep changing, and their complexity and richness should be valued. Contemporary scholarship shows a keener taste for specialization than it used to at the beginning of the last century. It has proved itself capable of treading new ground, enlarging our view and multiplying our impressions without renouncing depth and accuracy. This volume is a good reflection of the vividness and diversity of today's scholarship.

Emilio Mazza teaches History of Philosophy at the Libera Università di Lingue e Comunicazione in Milano.
Emanuele Ronchetti is Professor in History of Philosophy at the Libera Università di Lingue e Comunicazione in Milano.

Contributors: Annette C. Baier, Flavio Baroncelli, Martin Bell, Alix Cohen, Roger L. Emerson, Marina Frasca-Spada, James A. Harris, Dale Jacquette, Peter Jones, Peter J.E. Kail, Catherine Kemp, Emilio Mazza, James Moore, David Fate Norton, Mary J. Norton, Charles Pigden, Emanuele Ronchetti, Ian Simpson Ross, Mark G. Spencer, M.A. Stewart, Luigi Turco, John P. Wright.