ABSTRACT
The discussion of Spinozism has been largely overlooked in the literature, presumably because Hume seems to be engaged in little more than satire and ridicule. Of course, since charges of Spinozism were raised against virtually all the major philosophers of the late seventeenth century, Hume’s charge of Spinozism against the ‘theologians’ seems, on the face of it, to be nothing but ridicule. There are certain beliefs that are held universally. Among these are the beliefs in necessary connection, material and immaterial substance, external existence, and personal identity. The criticisms of the doctrine of substance David Hume raised in ‘Of the Antient Philosophy’ are generic in so far as they are applicable to virtually any version of the doctrine of substance. Further, his arguments there depend for their plausibility on various principles Hume considered well established, principles such as the copy theory of ideas.
