Freedom and Moral Sentiment by Russell, Paul;

Hume's Way of Naturalizing Responsibility

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Product details:

Publisher OUP USA
Date of Publication 25 April 2002

ISBN 9780195152906
Binding Paperback
No. of pages216 pages
Size 231x152x20 mm
Weight 345 g
Language English

Short description:

David Hume is generally credited with the classic "compatibilist" position in the free will debate. Paul Russell argues that the full range of Hume's views on this subject, although hugely influential, has not been adequately represented in standard Humean scholarship. Observing that studies of Hume's general strategy have tended to overlook his naturalistic concerns, Russell proposes that a more careful scrutiny of his work will demonstrate the importance of these concerns, their continuing relevance to Humean thought, and his contribution to ongoing issues in contemporary ethics.

Long description:

In this book, Russell examines Hume's notion of free will and moral responsibility. It is widely held that Hume presents us with a classic statement of the "compatibilist" position--that freedom and responsibility can be reconciled with causation and, indeed, actually require it. Russell argues that this is a distortion of Hume's view, because it overlooks the crucial role of moral sentiment in Hume's picture of human nature. Hume was concerned to describe the regular mechanisms which generate moral sentiments such as responsibility, and Russell argues that his conception of free will must be interpreted within this naturalistic framework. He goes on to discuss Hume's views about the nature and character of moral sentiment; the extent to which we have control over our moral character; and the justification of punishment. Throughout, Russell argues that the naturalistic avenue of interpretation of Hume's thought, far from draining it of its contemporary interest and significance, reveals it to be of great relevance to the ongoing contemporary debate.

Russell's book makes an important contribution to the literature on Hume's moral philosophy, especially in showing a breadth to his view that is sometimes obscured by too heavy a focus on his subjectivism. And Russell's discussion of Hume's relevance for contemporary debates over naturalism in ethics will be of interest to a wider philosophical audience.

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