While David Hume’s early readers received his work as that of a sceptical atheist and nihilist, twentieth-century scholars discerned instead in his texts various forms of epistemological, metaphysical, and doxastic realism. More recently, tentative and qualified readings of Hume as a sceptic have re-emerged. None, however, have argued for a scepticism as thoroughgoing and as radical as what Peter S. Fosl articulates in his newly released book, Hume’s Scepticism: Pyrrhonian and Academic (Edinburgh University Press). Fosl makes his case by first situating Hume's thought historically in the sceptical traditions, ancient and modern, and then by going on to interpret the logical and conceptual apparatus of Hume's work comprehensively.
Peter S. Fosl is Professor of Philosophy at Transylvania University. He is co-author of The Philosopher’s Toolkit, third edition (Wiley-Blackwell, forthcoming), The Ethics Toolkit (Wiley-Blackwell, 2007) and The Critical Thinking Toolkit (Wiley-Blackwell, 2017). He is co-editor of Commonplace Commitments: Thinking through the Legacy of Joseph P. Fell (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016), Classic Readings in Philosophy (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), British Philosophers, 1800-2000 (Gale Research, 2002) and British Philosophers, 1500-1799 (Gale Research, 2002). He is editor of The Big Lebowski and Philosophy (Wiley-Blackwell, 2012). Fosl received a David Hume Fellowship award from IASH, 2013-14, where the work on Hume's Scepticism began.
To book free tickets, please visit https://foslhume.eventbrite.com.
The book can be ordered from https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-hume-039-s-scepticism.html and copies will be available for purchase at the lecture. Fosl is also launching his new book with Professor David Purdie, David Hume on God (Luath Press, 2019) at IASH on Wednesday 27 November from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Please email iash@ed.ac.uk to attend the launch of David Hume on God.