The Philosophical Publishing Life of David Hume GREGORY ERNEST BOUCHARD Department of History, McGill University, Montreal November, 2013 A thesis submitted to McGIll University in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Ph.D. in History © Gregory Ernest Bouchard, 2013 1 2 Table of Contents ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... 9 ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................................... 11 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER I: FROM TREATISE TO ESSAYS ..................................................................... 36 CHAPTER II: THE INTELLECTUAL AND MATERIAL CONSTRUCTION OF ESSAYS AND TREATISES ON SEVERAL SUBJECTS ..................................................................... 96 PART ONE ................................................................................................................................... 96 PART TWO.................................................................................................................................. 132 CHAPTER III: HUME IN THE CONVIVIAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH'S LITERATI .................................................................................................................................................. 129 CHAPTER IV: HUME’S SELF-FASHIONING OF HIS LEGACY UPON DEATH .................................................................................................................................................. 173 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................ 191 A CRITICAL BIBLIOGRAPHY OF DAVID HUME'S PHILOSOPHICAL WORKS ....... 199 GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................. 245 3 4 ABSTRACT This dissertation undertakes a study of David Hume's philosophical publishing life with the intention of delineating his complex and inadequately understood intellectual output and asserting the cultural importance of his work after his first book, A Treatise of Human Nature. It uses a broad definition of the word “philosophical publication,” taking into account Hume's books as well as his works in periodicals and newspapers and his contributions to convivial gatherings. It follows Hume's critical examination of his publishing style after the commercial and critical failure of the Treatise, showing how he developed a nuanced theory of how philosophical publications functioned in a large and open print marketplace. This hinged on striking a balance between popular and academical forms of writing, which were apt for polite and rigorous types of philosophy, respectively. Working without a university position or other traditional forms of patronage, he manipulated publishing conventions in the print marketplace in an attempt to create a medium for conveying a novel and complex system of philosophy in a language and format that appealed to a large readership. This entailed exerting a high degree of control over the printing and marketing of his books. This study treats his collection Essays and Treatises on Several Subjects as the culmination of this process, examining the ways in which Hume, in conjunction with his printers and booksellers, fashioned it as both a commodity and an intellectual work with the hope that it would sell widely and gain philosophical assent. The significance of his philosophical publishing life is assessed, revealing great success on the commercial print market, mixed success at gaining philosophical 5 assent, and deep significance in the cultural sphere of Scottish Enlightenment literati. This study argues that even though Hume produced a work of philosophy that was widely purchased, his ambitions of effecting philosophical revolution were not achieved, and scope of his influence is more accurately observed in his critique of philosophical writing and his effect on Scottish Enlightenment literary culture. At the conclusion are included a critical bibliography of Hume's philosophical works and a list of questions debated in the Edinburgh Select Society. Cette thèse examine les publications philosophiques de David Hume, dans l’intention de délinéer ses productions intellectuelles complexes et insuffisamment comprises, tout en affirmant l’importance culturelle de son œuvre après l’apparition de son premier livre « Traité de la nature humaine ». Dans cette dissertation, on utilise une définition assez vaste du terme « publications philosophiques». On prend en compte ses livres ainsi que ses périodiques, ses journaux et ses contributions aux réunions conviviales. On examine Hume et son analyse de son propre méthode de publication à la suite de l’échec commercial et critique de la «Traité». On démontre comment il a développé une théorie nuancé sur la fonctionnement des publications philosophiques dans un marché vaste et ouvert pour les livres. Selon Hume, ceci dépend de l’équilibre entre les formes populaire et académique de l’écriture, ce qui étaient respectivement appropriés pour la philosophie « polie » et rigoureuse. Travaillant sans aucun poste universitaire ou d’autre forme de parrainage, il a manipulé les conventions du marché d’imprimerie, dans une tentative de créer le moyen de communiquer son 6 nouvel et complexe système de philosophie sous une forme qui attirerait un plus grand public. Ceci a nécessité du contrôle sur l’imprimerie et la mise en marché des œuvres. Dans cette étude, sa collection « Essais et traités sur plusieurs sujets » figure comme la culmination du processus sous mentionné; l’on examine comment cette collection était à la fois un produit et une œuvre intellectuelle pour Hume en conjonction avec ses imprimeurs et vendeurs, dans l’espoir que l’œuvre gagnerait un succès commercial et philosophique avec un grand importance dans le milieu culturel des lettrés de « Lumières Écossaises ». Bien que Hume ait produit une œuvre philosophique populaire, cette étude maintient qu’il n’a pas réussi d’atteindre son but de révolution philosophique et que son influence est plutôt marquée par son critique de l’écriture philosophique et par son effet sur la culture littéraire des « Lumières Écossaises ». La conclusion de la dissertation inclut une bibliographie analytique de son œuvre philosophique et une liste de questions discutées dans la « Société selecte d’Édimbourg ». 7 8 Acknowledgements This dissertation would not have been completed without the generous support of many people. I am greatly indebted to my advisor, Brian Cowan, and to my advisory committee, Nicholas Phillipson and Richard Virr. My work has also benefitted immensely from the guidance of Jim Moore, Richard Sher, David Raynor, and Bill Zachs, and the early inspiration of and Jacob T. Levy of Robert Tittler. Any errors and oversights are my own. I would also like to thank to my parents, Ernie and Carol Bouchard, and my sister, Jenny Bouchard; my companions, Michael Schwartz, Chris Schwartz, Nathan Howard, Adrian Zgeb, and Shelagh Hartford; and Jasmin Moore, who rented me a flat in Edinburgh. 9 10 Abbreviations ETSS* Essays and Treatises on Several Subjects Mossner The Life of David Hume, by E. C. Mossner (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1954) HL The Letters of David Hume, 2vols., ed. J.Y.T. Greig (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1932). NHL New Letters of David Hume, eds. Raymond Klibansky and E. C. Mossner (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1954) ODNB Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Online NLS National Library of Scotland BL British Library UE University of Edinburgh Library UG University of Glasgow Library Zachs The private collection of William Zachs *This study does not use the standard scholarly abbreviations for Hume's works, instead identifying specific publications by their entry number in the Critical Bibliography of Hume's Philosophical Works below. 11 12 Introduction In Autumn of 1737, a twenty-six-year-old David Hume traveled to London with hopes of publishing A Treatise of Human Nature, only to find the process much more challenging than expected. His frustration had become palpable by 2 December when he wrote to his friend and mentor, Henry Home, later Lord Kames, that he had spent the past three months “alwise within a Week of agreeing with Printers,” who were reluctant to publish a three-volume, religiously undogmatic, metaphysical tome by a new author with no reputation or authority. He reacted by “castrating” the work of its “noble parts,” removing arguments concerning religion and miracles that could “give too much Offence” to potential readers and hinder its publication.1 This would stretch on until 26 September, 1738, when he made a “hasty Bargain” with bookseller John Noon containing a clause that limited any further editions until the first sold completely. 2 When Books I and II appeared in January of 1739, they “fell dead-born from the press, without reaching such distinction as even to excite a murmur among the zealots,” and Book III did no better.3 The Treatise received tepid to vehemently negative responses, sold few copies, and – most importantly – did not inspire the 1 Hume to Kames, 2 December 1737, NHL, Letter 1. Henry Home was raised to the Scottish bench