This work investigates whether David Hume’s 'A Treatise of Human Nature' serves as the primary intellectual foundation for modern cognitive science. Jerry A. Fodor, a prominent philosopher and cognitive scientist, argues that Hume’s project of constructing an empirical psychology based on a representational theory of mind anticipates contemporary computational and cognitive theories. By examining Hume’s core arguments, Fodor attempts to bridge the gap between 18th-century empiricism and modern psychological inquiry.

Scholars frequently note the dense, analytical nature of Fodor’s prose, which assumes a high level of familiarity with both Humean philosophy and contemporary cognitive science. Experts often cite this text as a provocative reinterpretation of historical philosophical foundations within the context of modern mental architecture.