The Philosophers' Quarrel: Rousseau, Hume, and the Limits of Human Understanding

Biography & Memoir, Philosophers, Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, History, Criticism, & Surveys
Cover of the book The Philosophers' Quarrel: Rousseau, Hume, and the Limits of Human Understanding by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott, Yale University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott ISBN: 9780300156249
Publisher: Yale University Press Publication: March 3, 2009
Imprint: Yale University Press Language: English
Author: Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
ISBN: 9780300156249
Publisher: Yale University Press
Publication: March 3, 2009
Imprint: Yale University Press
Language: English
The rise and spectacular fall of the friendship between the two great philosophers of the eighteenth century, barely six months after they first met, reverberated on both sides of the Channel. As the relationship between Jean-Jacques Rousseau and David Hume unraveled, a volley of rancorous letters was fired off, then quickly published and devoured by aristocrats, intellectuals, and common readers alike. Everyone took sides in this momentous dispute between the greatest of Enlightenment thinkers.

In this lively and revealing book, Robert Zaretsky and John T. Scott explore the unfolding rift between Rousseau and Hume. The authors are particularly fascinated by the connection between the thinkers’ lives and thought, especially the way that the failure of each to understand the other—and himself—illuminates the limits of human understanding. In addition, they situate the philosophers’ quarrel in the social, political, and intellectual milieu that informed their actions, as well as the actions of the other participants in the dispute, such as James Boswell, Adam Smith, and Voltaire. By examining the conflict through the prism of each philosopher’s contribution to Western thought, Zaretsky and Scott reveal the implications for the two men as individuals and philosophers as well as for the contemporary world.
The rise and spectacular fall of the friendship between the two great philosophers of the eighteenth century, barely six months after they first met, reverberated on both sides of the Channel. As the relationship between Jean-Jacques Rousseau and David Hume unraveled, a volley of rancorous letters was fired off, then quickly published and devoured by aristocrats, intellectuals, and common readers alike. Everyone took sides in this momentous dispute between the greatest of Enlightenment thinkers.

In this lively and revealing book, Robert Zaretsky and John T. Scott explore the unfolding rift between Rousseau and Hume. The authors are particularly fascinated by the connection between the thinkers’ lives and thought, especially the way that the failure of each to understand the other—and himself—illuminates the limits of human understanding. In addition, they situate the philosophers’ quarrel in the social, political, and intellectual milieu that informed their actions, as well as the actions of the other participants in the dispute, such as James Boswell, Adam Smith, and Voltaire. By examining the conflict through the prism of each philosopher’s contribution to Western thought, Zaretsky and Scott reveal the implications for the two men as individuals and philosophers as well as for the contemporary world.

More books from Yale University Press

Cover of the book Cosima Wagner: The Lady of Bayreuth by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
Cover of the book Modern Love and Poems of the English Roadside, with Poems and Ballads by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
Cover of the book The Christian Monitors by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
Cover of the book The Vulnerability Thesis: Interest Group Influence and Institutional Design by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
Cover of the book The Learning to Teach Through Discussion: The Art of Turning the Soul by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
Cover of the book Toxic Bodies by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
Cover of the book Culture Crash by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
Cover of the book The Creative Artist's Legal Guide: Copyright, Trademark and Contracts in Film and Digital Media Production by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
Cover of the book Æthelred by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
Cover of the book Joshua 1-12 by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
Cover of the book The Jeffersons at Shadwell by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
Cover of the book Europe Didn't Work by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
Cover of the book The Last Lover by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
Cover of the book Bessie by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
Cover of the book The Soviet World of American Communism by Robert Zaretsky, John T. Scott
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy