A Treatise of Human Nature (1739-40), David Hume's comprehensive attempt to base philosophy on a new, observationally grounded study of human nature, is one of the most important texts in Western philosophy. It is also the focal point of current attempts to understand 18th-century philosophy. The Treatise first explains how we form such concepts as cause and effect, external existence, and personal identity, and to form compelling but unconfirmable beliefs in the entities represented by these concepts. It then offers a novel account of the passions, explains freedom and necessity as they apply to human choices and actions, and concludes with detailed explanations of how we distinguish between virtue and vice and of the different kinds of virtue. Hume's Abstract of the Treatise, also included in the volume, outlines his 'chief argument' regarding our conception of, and belief in, cause and effect. The texts printed in this volume are those of the critical edition of Hume's philosophical works now being published by the Clarendon Press. The volume includes a substantial introduction explaining the aims of the Treatise as a whole and of each of its ten parts, extensive annotations, a glossary of terms, a comprehensive index, and suggestions for further reading.

大卫·休谟（David Hume，1711年4月26日-1776年8月25日），苏格兰哲学家，出生于爱丁堡，与约翰·洛克（John Locke）及柏克莱（George Berkeley）并称三大英国经验主义者。其特点在于重视从“生活经验”中提炼出哲学观点，如“知识来源于印象而非理性”，认为没有事实可由先验（a priori）方法被证明。卢梭等后世学人深受其影响。康德亦综合他同理性主义哲学家的观点创建起“正反合”的理论。 11岁进入爱丁堡大学，18岁专攻哲学，21岁出版“人性论”。1734前往法国进修，48年出使维也纳和都灵。1749回到家乡 1763年任驻法使馆秘书；1765年升任使馆代办。1767～1768年任副国务大臣。1769年8月退休返爱丁堡。谟的主要著作有《人性论》 、《道德和政治论说文集》、《人类理解研究》、《道德原理探究》、《宗教的自然史》、《自然宗教对话录》、《自凯撒入侵至1688年革命的英国史》（6卷）等。哲学思想 休谟生活在英国资产阶级“光荣革命”结束到产业革命开始的社会变革的时代。这时，英国资产阶级已经成为统治阶级的一部分，它继续维持同贵族的联盟以加强对劳动人民的统治，与此同时，迅速成长壮大起来的工商业资产阶级要求对这个联盟内部的关系作有利于本阶级的调整，并继续反对封建复辟势力。这时，资产阶级的进步性和保守性交织在一起。作为这个阶级思想的代表人物的休谟，贯彻经验论观点，提出了以动摇于唯物主义和唯心主义之间的怀疑论为特色的哲学体系。