Hume's Scepticism

Pyrrhonian and Academic

Peter S Fosl author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Edinburgh University Press

Published:31st Aug '21

Should be back in stock very soon

Hume's Scepticism cover

This work presents a compelling interpretation of Hume as a radical sceptic, challenging traditional views and enriching the understanding of his philosophical contributions.

In Hume's Scepticism, Peter S. Fosl presents a profound reinterpretation of David Hume, positioning him as a radical sceptic across various domains such as epistemology, metaphysics, and doxastic matters. By placing Hume's ideas within the broader sceptical tradition, Fosl sheds light on the historical context that shaped Hume's philosophical inquiries. This contextualization is crucial for understanding the depth of Hume's scepticism and its implications for modern philosophy.

Fosl meticulously examines Hume's major works, including the Treatise, Enquiries, Essays, History, Dialogues, and his letters. Through this detailed analysis, he explores the conceptual framework that underpins Hume's sceptical arguments, revealing the complexities and nuances that have often been overlooked in contemporary interpretations. Fosl's approach challenges prevailing readings of Hume, advocating for a view that recognizes the radical nature of his scepticism.

This book serves as a significant contribution to Hume scholarship, offering both historical and logical arguments that support the interpretation of Hume as a thoroughgoing sceptic. By engaging with Hume's texts in a comprehensive manner, Hume's Scepticism invites readers to reconsider the implications of Hume's thought on our understanding of knowledge and belief, making it an essential read for those interested in philosophy and the history of scepticism.

Peter Fosl’s Hume’s Scepticism is the culmination and most successful accomplishment of a research program in Hume’s scholarship started by Richard Popkin 80 years ago. -- Jose Maia Neto * Analytica *
Peter Fosl presents an engaging and historically rich account of Hume’s skepticism. For those readers interested in deepening their knowledge and understanding of Pyrrhonian and Academic skepticism, both in regard to their origins and their legacy, I highly recommend it. -- Stefanie Rocknak, Hartwick College * Journal of the History of Philosophy *
A remarkably comprehensive study about the impact of Pyrrhonian and Academic scepticism on David Hume’s philosophy … Using the most recent scholarship to discuss both textual influences and philosophical nuances among different sceptical views, Fosl provides a thorough history of scepticism on which scholars could build on the future … Fosl’s book is novel, provocative and opens up paths for various possible lines of research in the history of scepticism … Fosl has made a wonderful job of indicating some of the most relevant modern Academic sceptics’ affinities. In addition to the very substantial questions his work raises, Fosl deftly shows in his book that, as a sceptic through and through, Hume examined probabilities concerning issues of science, metaphysics and religion, and remained non-dogmatic in all of his philosophical conclusions. -- Catalina González, Universidad de los Andes * Sképsis: Revista de Filosofia *
No one else has gone as wide and as deep as Peter Fosl, who has taken a decisive stand on Hume as a radical sceptic. Nothing in philosophy is definitive, but this book will surely be a point of departure for studies of Hume's philosophy for a long time to come. -- John Christian Laursen, University of California, Riverside

ISBN: 9781474451130

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

392 pages