The Imagination in Hume's Philosophy - (Edinburgh Studies in Scottish Philosophy) by Timothy M Costelloe (Paperback)

About the Book

The prominence of the imagination in David Hume's philosophy has been recognised by generations of readers. In this rich study, Timothy Costelloe gives us the most complete picture yet of Hume's view of imagination - and its place in his philosophy.

Book Synopsis

The prominence of the imagination in David Hume's philosophy has been recognised by generations of readers. In this rich study, Timothy Costelloe gives us the most complete picture yet of Hume's view of imagination - and its place in his philosophy. Costelloe convincingly shows that Hume's concept of imagination is coherent, formulating the features that compose its distinctive character. Discover how this understanding of imagination informs Hume's approach to the various subjects he treats in his work: metaphysics, morals and politics, aesthetics, history, religion and the practice of philosophy itself.

From the Back Cover

'There is no more important topic in Hume's philosophy than the imagination. It is, as Timothy Costelloe shows, the creative force at the heart of every operation of the Humean mind. Every Hume scholar will learn from this admirably clear and careful study.' James A. Harris, University of St Andrews A systematic treatment of Hume's conception of the imagination and how it informs his treatment of the central topics of his philosophy The prominence of the imagination in David Hume's philosophy has been recognised by generations of readers, but Timothy Costelloe offers the most complete picture to date of Hume's view of imagination - and its place in his philosophy. In this rich and comprehensive study, Costelloe convincingly shows that Hume has a coherent concept of the imagination. He formulates the features that Hume takes to compose its distinctive character and demonstrates how this understanding of imagination informs Hume's approach to the various subjects he treats in the course of his philosophy: metaphysics, morals and politics, aesthetics, history, religion and the practice of philosophy itself. Timothy M. Costelloe is Professor of Philosophy at the College of William and Mary. Cover image: The Baleful Head, 1887, Edward Burne-Jones (c) akg-images [EUP logo] edinburghuniversitypress.com ISBN 978-1-4744-3639-7 Barcode

Review Quotes

Costelloe (William and Mary) offers a thorough explication of Hume's account of the imagination. ... In addition to its value for philosophers, the book will perhaps be useful to scholars of 18th-century English literature who are interested in the imagination specifically or its application to Humean thought in areas such as ethics and metaphysics. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.

--M. A. Michael, Austin Peay State University "Choice"

There is no more important topic in Hume's philosophy than the imagination. It is, as Timothy Costelloe shows, the creative force at the heart of every operation of the Humean mind. Every Hume scholar will learn from this admirably clear and careful study.

--James A. Harris, University of St Andrews

About the Author

Timothy Costelloe is Professor of Philosophy at The College of William & Mary. He is the author of Aesthetics and Morals in the Philosophy of David Hume (Routledge, 2007), The British Aesthetic Tradition: From Shaftesbury to Wittgenstein (Cambridge University Press, 2013) and he is editor of The Sublime: From Antiquity to the Present (Cambridge University Press, 2012).