The Philosophical Works of David Hume, in Four Volumes: A Treatise on Human Nature and Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion., in Two Volumes [with] Essays Moral, Political, and Literary., in Two Volumes.

xxii, 565, [7]; xii, 472, [2], 32; viii, 503, [5]; viii, 470, [6], 32 pp. 8vo. The 1874-5 edition of Hume's 'Essays' and 'Human Nature,' collecting the two works into a four-volume set collectively entitled The Philosophical Works of David Hume, is the first edition of these works to include the introduction and notes of T.H. Green and T.H. Grose, both fellow and tutors at Oxford. The first two volumes treat Hume's theories related to the human understanding of the world, including discussion of ideas, abstraction, space, time, knowledge, probability, passions and emotions, the will, virtue and vice (i.e., ethics and morality), and justice and injustice, with some discussion of other philosophical systems. These volumes also include his Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. The two volumes of essays include forty-three philosophical essays on various topics, as well as a brief autobiographical sketch, a letter from Adam Smith to William Strahan, a history and list of the various editions of these essays. Some subjects discussed include: first principles of government; civil liberty; political parties; philosophical schools; polygamy and divorce; commerce; money; taxes; the idea of a perfect commonwealth, etc.