Works

A Treatise of Human Nature

Also Known As Being an Attempt to Introduce the Experimental Method of Reasoning into Moral Subjects

Citation Formats

General Reference

Philosophy Atlas. "A Treatise of Human Nature." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://philosophy.interactiveatlas.org/works/a-treatise-of-human-nature.

APA Style

Philosophy Atlas. (n.d.). A Treatise of Human Nature. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://philosophy.interactiveatlas.org/works/a-treatise-of-human-nature

BibTeX

@misc{philosophyatlas-a-treatise-of-human-nature,
  author = {Philosophy Atlas},
  title = {A Treatise of Human Nature},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://philosophy.interactiveatlas.org/works/a-treatise-of-human-nature},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

A Treatise of Human Nature (1739-40) is David Hume's foundational work of empiricism, skepticism and naturalism, applying an experimental method to the study of human psychology. It argues that the passions rather than reason drive behavior, raises the problem of induction, defends a sentimentalist account of morality, and offers a skeptical account of personal identity.

Facts

Publication Year

1739 1

Published across two instalments, 1739-40; 1739 is given as the property's single year.

Original Language

English 1

Cross-Tradition Connections

Authored By

David Hume

Source A Treatise of Human Nature (Wikipedia)

Sources

1. A Treatise of Human Nature (Wikipedia)

WikipediaIntroduction

Quote, Introduction

Being an Attempt to Introduce the Experimental Method of Reasoning into Moral Subjects

View the Source

Comments (0)

No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.

Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)

No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.

View At A Past Year

The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.

Switch Atlas

The Inner World

The Civil World

The Natural World