Negative Impact of God on the Minds of David Hume, Christopher Smart, a

Negative Impact of God on the Minds of David Hume, Christopher Smart, and William Cowper David Hume was one of the most influential writers and philosophers of his time. Hume was the second son of Joseph Hume, laird of Ninewells, a small estate in Berwickshire. He was born and raised in Edinburgh, and studied law at Edinburgh University. He left the University without taking a degree with him, however. He spent the next three years living at his fathers, occupying his time primarily with reading and pondering ideas, later to be used in his works. In 1773 Hume traveled to France, making his way to La Fleche on the Loire. He attended Jesuit college while abroad, and was greatly stimulated by history. While in La Fleche, he began his renown A Treatise of Human Understanding. The first two volumes were published in 1739, and the concluding volume in 1740. His work was published anonymously, and subsequently attracted little attention. While in France, Hume became good friends with a number of well known men. Voltaire, Diderot, and d’Alembert were friends of his that had great influence on his writings and ideas. Several of his works include, The History of Great Britain, and Four Dissertations which contained The Natural History of Religion, Of the Passions, Of Tragedy, and Of the Standard of Taste (Stapleton 1757). Two Essays (1777) contained Of Suicide and Of the Immortality of the Soul. David Hume explores the issue of what exactly comprises the â€Å"self†. Hume states in his Treatise of Human Nature that ...when I enter most intimately into what I call myself, I always stumble on some particular perception or other, of heat or cold, light or shade, love or hatred, pain or pleasure. I never can catch my... ...Literature. Vol.1. Ed. Rossi, Patricia. Addison Wesley Educational Publishers Inc. New York: Copyright 1999. 2655-57. Hume, David. â€Å"A Treatise of Human Nature:The Mind as Theater†. Longman Anthology of British Literature. Vol.1. Ed. Rossi, Patricia. Addison Wesley Educational Publishers Inc. New York: Copyright 1999. 2644-47. Hume, David. â€Å"An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding: Of Miracles†. Longman Anthology of British Literature. Vol.1. Ed. Rossi, Patricia. Addison Wesley Educational Publishers Inc. New York: Copyright 1999. 2647-50. Jenkins, John. Understanding Hume. Edinburgh University Press. Lanham, Maryland: Copyright 1992. Smart, Christopher. â€Å"Jubilante Agno†. Longman Anthology of British Literature. Vol.1. Ed. Rossi, Patricia. Addison Wesley Educational Publishers Inc. New York: Copyright 1999. 2650-53