ABSTRACT
In the advertisement prefixed to the posthumous 1777 edition of his collected works, Hume famously renounced his early Treatise, asking that his later publications ‘may alone be regarded as containing his philosophical sentiments and principles’. Many subsequent commentators have not honoured this request, believing that the differences between the Treatise and the later works are mostly trivial or stylistic. In the conclusion of this book, the author’s voice is added to those who believe that Hume’s dissatisfaction with the Treatise was based in part on its philosophical content, that his later works differ in substance as well as style, and that Hume’s preference for them was evidence of sound philosophical judgement on his part. The later works constitute a significant improvement over the Treatise, which is ultimately best viewed as a first draft.
