Introductions to Books I and II of David Hume’s Treatise of Human Nature Thomas Hill Green A Treatise of Human Nature, being an attempt to introduce the Experimental Method of Reasoning into Moral Subjects and Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion by David Hume, Edited, with preliminary dissertation and Notes, by T.H. Green and T.H. Grose London, Longmans Green & Co, 1874 Transcriber's Note: The Introduction to Book I is taken from an 1898 reprint; that to Book II from an 1882 reprint, both by Longmans. The tables of contents have been changed to refer to paragraphs instead of pages, as was done by R.L. Nettleship in his edition of Green's _Philosophical Works_. The paragraph numbers are the same as in the originals, and as in Nettleship's edition. The Notes which were printed in the margins of the originals have been placed as captions above the relevant paragraphs. Green’s footnotes have been placed below the paragraphs to which they relate. Because this book does not contain Hume’s text, where Green cites Hume by page number, a reference to the relevant section has been added in square brackets. Greek phrases are translated in footnotes marked "Tr." PREFACE. In this edition we have sought to avoid the inconveniences which are apt to attend commentaries on philosophical writers, by the plan of putting together, in the form of continuous introductions, such explanation and criticism as we had to offer, and confining the footnotes almost entirely to references, which have been carefully distinguished from Hume’s own notes. For the introductions to the first and second volumes Mr. Green alone is responsible. The introduction to the third is the work of Mr. Grose, who also has undertaken the revision of Hume’s text. Throughout the introductions to Volumes I. and II., except where the contrary is stated, ‘Hume’ must be understood to mean Hume as represented by the ‘Treatise on Human Nature.’ In taking this as intrinsically the best representation of his philosophy, we may be thought to have overlooked the well-known advertisement which (in an edition posthumously published) he prefixed to the volume containing his ‘Inquiries concerning the Human Understanding and the Principles of Morals.’ In it, after stating that the volume, is mainly a reproduction of what he had previously published in the ‘Treatise,’ he expresses a hope that ‘some negligences in his former reasoning, and more in the expression,’ have been corrected, and desires ‘that the following Pieces may alone be regarded as containing his philosophical sentiments and principles.’ Was not Hume himself then, it may be asked, the best judge of what was an adequate expression of his thoughts, and is there not an unbecoming assurance in disregarding such a voice from his tomb?