Four Dissertations: A Natural History of Religion, Of the Passions, Of Tragedy, Of the Standard of Taste

David Hume (1711-1776) remains one of the most stimulating and entertaining writers in the English essay tradition. Though primarily known for long-form writings, he was adept at taking one subject and looking at it in a more concise but accessible manner. Hume devoted his life to study – across a wide range of his personal interests, reflecting his background in philosophy, history, economics, and many other subjects. This can be clearly seen in Four Dissertations (1757) and the topics he chose to consider.

Of these, The Natural History of Religion is the most well-known and widely quoted. Hume’s views, shaped by empiricism and scepticism, enables him to offer a perspective unusual for his age, though naturally it is embedded in the prevailing view ‘The whole frame of nature bespeaks an intelligent author’. Nevertheless, this does not restrict his thinking as he examines the psychological and sociological factors that shape religious sentiment.

The other three Dissertations are no less fascinating. Fittingly, in Of The Passions, Hume delves into the complex realm of human emotions. Investigating the nature of desire, love, fear, and more, he presents a wide-ranging study of how passions influence our actions and shape our experiences.

Of Tragedy, explores the aesthetics of dramatic art. Hume looks into the power of tragedy to elicit a passionate response and provoke contemplation. He examines the mechanisms by which tragedies captivate audiences and evoke a range of sentiments, shedding light on the profound impact of art on human consciousness.

In Of the Standard of Taste, Hume takes the viewpoint of the beholder, rather than the object. Declaring ‘We are apt to call barbarous whatever departs widely from our own taste and apprehension,’ he proposes that two elements, sentiment and critical faculty form a major part in decisions on taste. For “Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different beauty.” But such a subjective view cannot deny a certain consensus on beauty, which leads Hume to examine the matter of aesthetics in the light of judgements of established critics.

This recording concludes with Hume’s two short autobiographies, written at different times in his life and with differing characteristics. The first, A Kind of Life (1734) is a letter written to a doctor and the second, My Own Life (1776) was written shortly before his death.

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