Philosophical Melancholy and Delirium : Hume's Pathology of Philosophy

The Scottish philosopher David Hume is commonly understood as the original proponent of the end of philosophy. In this powerful new study, Donald Livingston completely revises our understanding of Hume's thought through his investigation of Hume's distinction between true and false philosophy. For Hume, false philosophy leads either to melancholy over the groundlessness of common opinion or delirium over transcending it, while true philosophy leads to wisdom. Livingston traces this distinction through all of Hume's writings, providing a systematic pathology of the corrupt philosophical consciousness in history, politics, philosophy, and literature that characterized Hume's own time as well as ours. By demonstrating how a philosophical method can be used to expose the political motivations behind intellectual positions, historical events, and their subsequent interpretations, Livingston revitalizes Hume's thought and reveals its relevance for contemporary dicussions of politics, nationalism, and ideology for the first time. Booknews A study of Hume's conception of philosophy as it is grounded in his distinction between true and false philosophy. Livingston (philosophy, Emory U.) touches on all of Hume's writings and subjects such as morals, politics, civilization, barbarism, religion, history, literature, and law in the process of his exploration of Hume's answer to the question What is philosophy? Different philosopher's perspectives on Hume are also considered, including those of Descartes, Locke, and Berkeley. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or. Contents Preface List of Abbreviations Part One: Humean Reflections 1. Is Hume an Empiricist? Empiricism as Ideology The "Sceptical System" of Philosophy Philosophical Self-Understanding 2. The Dialectic of True and False Philosophy The Philosophical Act The Character of the False Philosopher The Character of the True Philosopher 3. The Origin of the Philosophical Act in Human Nature Philosophy and Religion The Origin of Polytheism and Vulgar Theism The Origin of Philosophy, Atheism, and True Theism Philosophical Theism and True Philosophy 4. The Ancient Philosophy The Idea of a History of Philosophy "Of the Antient Philosophy" Morals and Eloquence "The Heroes of Philosophy" 5. Philosophy and Christendom The Union of Philosophy and Christianity Scholastic "Refinement" Superstition and Enthusiasm Modern Religion 6. The Modern Philosophy The "Abstract Theory of Morals" Philosophical Alchemy The New Vulgar Philosophers Hume as Classical Moralist 7. True Philosophy and the Skeptical Tradition Philosophical-Historical Images Skepticism in the Treatise, Abstract, and Letter from a Gentleman Skepticism in the Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding Skepticism in the Essays 8. True Philosophy and Civilization The Philosopher as Patriot A Theory of Liberty? What Liberty Is Liberty, Tradition, and Civilization Civilization as True Philosophy The True Commonwealth 9. False Philosophy and Barbarism The Barbarism of Refinement The Gloomy Enthusiasm of the Parliamentary Party The New Vulgar Philosophers Rousseau 10. English Barbarism: "Wilkes and Liberty!" English Barbarism Revolution Ideology "Wilkes and Liberty" The Philosophical Meaning of "Wilkes and Liberty" 11. English Barbarism: "The Poor Infatuated Americans" Humes Support for American Secession Total War as a Philosophical Refinement "I Am an American in My Principles" The Philosophical Meaning of Humes Support for American Independence Part Two: Humean Intimations 12. Hume and America Was Hume a Founding Father? Humes Conception of Macropolitical Order Hume and the Articles of Confederation 13. The Right of Resistance: A Humean Free State versus a Modern Consolidated Leviathan Modern and PreModern Polities The Modern Theory of Sovereignty The Revolutionary Character of Public Credit 14. The Right of Resistance: Secession and the Modern State What Secession Is The Organic Theory of the State The Modern State as a Philosophic Superstition 15. Preserving One's Humanity in the First Philosophic Age Hume and Vico Hume and Hegel The Human and the Divine in the First Philosophic Age Philosophical Prudence Notes Index The Scottish philosopher David Hume is commonly understood as the original proponent of the "end of philosophy". In this powerful new study, Donald Livingston completely revises our understanding of Hume's thought through his investigation of Hume's distinction between "true" and "false" philosophy. For Hume, false philosophy leads either to melancholy over the groundlessness of common opinion or delirium over transcending it, while true philosophy leads to wisdom. Livingston traces this distinction through all of Hume's writings, providing a systematic pathology of the corrupt philosophical consciousness in history, politics, philosophy, and literature that characterized Hume's own time as well as ours. By demonstrating how a philosophical method can be used to expose the political motivations behind intellectual positions, historical events, and their subsequent interpretations, Livingston revitalizes Hume's thought and reveals its relevance for contemporary discussions of politics, nationalism, and ideology for the first time. Pt. 1. Humean Reflections. 1. Is Hume An Empiricist? 2. The Dialectic Of True And False Philosophy. 3. The Origin Of The Philosophical Act In Human Nature. 4. The Ancient Philosophy. 5. Philosophy And Christendom. 6. The Modern Philosophy. 7. True Philosophy And The Skeptical Tradition. 8. True Philosophy And Civilization. 9. False Philosophy And Barbarism. 10. English Barbarism: Wilkes And Liberty! 11. English Barbarism: The Poor Infatuated Americans -- Pt. 2. Humean Intimations. 12. Hume And America. 13. The Right Of Resistance: A Humean Free State Versus A Modern Consolidated Leviathan. 14. The Right Of Resistance: Secession And The Modern State. 15. Preserving One's Humanity In The First Philosophic Age. Donald W. Livingston. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [409]-425) And Index. This is a study of the Scottish philosopher David Hume, which seeks to revise understanding of Hume's thought by investigating the distinction he made between "true" and "false" philosophy. The text traces this distinction through all Hume's writings, set against the cultural ethos of his time.