Hume: A Very Short Introduction by A. J. Ayer (PDF)

Description

Hume’s “naturalist” approach to a wide variety of philosophical topics resulted in highly original theories about perception, self-identity, causation, morality, politics, and religion, all of which are discussed in this stimulating introduction by A.J. Ayer, himself one of the twentiethcentury’s most important philosophers. Ayer also gives an account of Hume’s fascinating life and character, and includes generous quotations from Hume’s lucid and often witty writings.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: About the Author The late A.J. Ayer was Wykeham Professor of Logic at Oxford University and a Fellow of Wolfson College Oxford and of the British Academy. He was the author of many well-known philosophical works, including Language, Truth and Logic, The Central Questions of Philosophy, and Russell. Hisautobiographical Part of My Life was published in 1978.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This book is by Alfred Jules Ayer, one of the late heavy weight champions of logical positivism.It is based on lectures Ayer gave in the late seventies.If you do not understand the book or find it too specialized, it is really not the book’s fault but rather OUP’s for including in the *Very Short Introductions* series a text that is clearly aimed at an academic audience somewhat knowledgable about philosophy.I for one am happy that the inclusion makes the text widely available. But you’re right in criticizing that this is not an easily approachable *Very Short Introduction*.

⭐Well writing a review about Hume is a challenge because he poses several challenges. It is important as a Philosophy professor reviewing Hume after some years to see that like Descartes a lot of his philosophy arises out of his life experiences. Too often philosophers are studied in the abstract when if one know the contemporary issues it helps to see how the arguments fit into the contemporary scene. Otherwise one is likely to get a biased picture.

⭐I was looking for a very short introduction to David Hume, so naturally I thought this book would be a good choice. I was wrong. This book is obviously written for an advanced student of philosophy. It was almost impossible for me to understand (I have a BS in Civil Engineering and an MBA, so I consider myself to be at least somewhat intelligent). As some other reviewers have noted, the writing is extremely dry and the sentences go on and on. I actually found myself wondering, “How would I diagram this sentence?” I have made two attempts to get through it, but both times I have stopped after about 30 pages. I think I’ve given up on it for good. FYI: The book was originally written in 1980 and was republished in the Very Short Introduction series in 2000. The author died in 1989.

⭐An interesting take on Hume by a philosopher who’s a brand name guy in his own right.

⭐A very clear, concise and well-written summary and introduction to Hume’s ideas.

⭐This is a sentence from the book which I think a pretty good example of Mr. Ayer’s style: “For this reason we can fulfill Hume’s requirement that objects be considered in themselves, by taking it to imply that with regard to any two objects x and y we can identify either by a description which carries no reference to the other, and then, if this condition is satisfied, his conclusion that, from a statement which asserts the existence of x, under such a description, nothing whatsoever can be deduced about the existence or non-existence of y, emerges as the tautology that it anyhow needs to be.”It is hard to believe Mr. Ayer — or anyone — could have re-read that sentence after writing it and been pleased. The eight commas alone should have hinted at a need to revise and clarify. But nowhere in this volume does Mr. Ayer seem remotely troubled by such concerns. On the contrary, he almost seems to take pride in being as rambling and convoluted as possible. This is all the more inexcusable given how lucid David Hume’s style is. Mr. Ayer has managed to take one of the easier philosophers to read and so obfuscate him that it’s virtually impossible to identify what he’s saying, let alone whether it makes sense or not. If that sounds like a good introduction, this book’s for you.

⭐I’m a fan of this series of ‘Short Introductions.’ I own, read, and have enjoyed several of them. This is not an easy or even an average read. To plow through it you probably need at least a Masters Degree in philosophy. I ‘finished’ no left it frustrated in my wish to be introduced to the great Hume.

⭐The title of the series is “Very Short Introductions,” not “Very Short Pedantic Compendiums Written by Arses for Neophyte and Dilettante Consumption Writ Large.” A J Ayer’s prose is the modicum of brevity and clarity; who better to write a very short introduction than this ‘arch-empiricist’ of the logical positivist school? Mr. Rogers? Amy Winehouse? T-bag Blair? Donald Rumsfeld? From the sound of the other reviews, the second title offered above may be valid for much of the rest of the series; this one then, is a very fortunate exception.

⭐Fascinating introduction to the mans works, although Ayer’s writing style is very hard to get to grips with and I found the extracts from Hume’s work much easier to get my head around (have a dictionary on stand-by if you attempt to read this). Off the back of this I think I’ll invest in some of Hume’s writings as he’s still currently my favourite philosopher.

⭐A great little intro. Very clear

⭐Review it? Come on! It’s by Ayer. What’s to say? Just buy it.

⭐Very well written, but I struggled. Maybe too short.

⭐Hume is presented here as inconsistent and ambivalent in an almost equally ambivalent and unpalatable style which, is not at all accessible to the beginner. The text is plodding and overly personalized. Ayer presents mostly his own views and disagreements and leaves Hume’s position in the dark – unpresented that is. It is also very slippery like a desert mirage. As soon as you get pulled into the author’s argument and presentation it pulls away from you and disappears leaving you feeling disappointed. It reads like a professional academic philosophical article and not like an introductory text which is meant to generate enthusiasm and interest and illuminate a highly noted philosopher. Disappointing and boring.

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