The Philosophical Works of David Hume

What it is

This 1826 four-volume edition collects David Hume's philosophical works and essays, including corrections made across different editions during his lifetime. It opens with a short autobiography titled "My Own Life," written by Hume himself, describing his birth in Edinburgh and his life devoted to writing.

Why it matters

This collected edition shows how Hume's philosophical writings were gathered and preserved for later readers. His own autobiographical account, included at the start, gives a rare first-person view of how he understood his own life and career as a writer.

Look closer

• Why might Hume describe his own life mainly as "the history of my writings"?
• What does Hume mean when he worries that writing about himself might seem vain?
• What can a collected edition like this tell us about how an author's reputation is shaped after their lifetime?