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Food for Thought

David et Jean-Jacques

Tim Madigan describes the original odd couple.

“I have always wondered why I so greatly enjoy the writings of Hume but do not get much pleasure from reading defenses of very similar positions by Mill. The only explanation I can think of is that Hume had a warmth and humor that Mill lacked.” – Paul Edwards in God and the Philosophers

My good friend the late Paul Edwards, editor-in-chief of the monumental Encyclopedia of Philosophy, often told me that of all the philosophers who ever lived, David Hume is the one he most wished he could have met. For him Hume embodied the virtues of rigorous thinking, opposition to superstition, and joy in living. But most of all, unlike so many of the historical figures Edwards’ encyclopedia detailed, Hume seemed to be a genuinely nice guy.

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