What were the defining intellectual and personal experiences that shaped the life and philosophy of David Hume? Ernest Campbell Mossner, a preeminent scholar of the Scottish Enlightenment, utilizes extensive archival research and primary source correspondence to construct a comprehensive portrait of Hume. The work argues that Hume's philosophical contributions cannot be separated from the social and political climate of the eighteenth century, presenting a detailed account of his development as a thinker and writer.

Experts and scholars consistently identify this work as the foundational biography for the study of David Hume. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a rigorous resource for historians and philosophers alike.