Abstract

Hume's passing remark that his "ruling passion" was his "love of literary fame" has too easily encouraged the view that he gave up serious philosophizing after writing the _Treatise<D>. The most prominent casualty of this outlook is the first _Enquiry<D>. The article shows "the love of literary fame" to be an entirely appropriate motive for the serious intellectual writer, not an admission of frivolousness. Some further obstacles to taking the _Enquiry<D> seriously are considered, before a short sketch of the _Enquiry<D>'s argument and context shows it to be, not a mere collection of essays, but a sustained argument which reveals the broad thrust of Hume's philosophical vision