In April, 1776 David Hume, suffering from gastrointestinal disease and aware that the end was likely drawing nigh, wrote a short summary of his life. He opens by saying “It is difficult for a man to speak long of himself without vanity; therefore, I shall be short. It may be thought an instance of vanity that I pretend at all to write my life; but this Narrative shall contain little more than the History of my Writings; as, indeed, almost all my life has been spent in literary pursuits and occupations.” Those literary pursuits and occupations taken together have exercised a vast influence on the development of modern philosophy that, in turn, had major effects on the evolution of economics, psychology, political science, theology, and even physics. His History of England in six volumes, which includes this autobiography, was considered the definitive work in its time.  Einstein was inspired by his positivism while formulating the theory of special relativity. Philosopher Jerry Fodor considers Hume’s Treatise “the founding document of cognitive science”. The brevity of the work stands in stark opposition to the scope of his contribution to human knowledge.  The work is light and congenial throughout, and he is self-deprecating and a bit rueful about his literary ambitions and reputation. The autobiography is followed by a letter from his close friend Adam Smith that describes his death and closes with a stirring and heartfelt eulogy.

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