The book describes and interprets the Scottish philosopher and historianDavid Hume’s theory of the basis of a society’s development from barbarism tocivilization and for the maintenance of a civilized society. An analysis of the developmentand maintenance of civilization should, according to Hume, be conducted along threedimensions, a political, an economic and one concerning civil society. Therefore, thethree main parts of the book analyses Hume’s treatment of these three social spheres.Hume’s example of a successful development from barbarism to civilization is England,but he also means that an analysis of English past and present will yield a more generalunderstanding of civilizing processes. However, even civilized societies containdisintegrating forces and therefore potentials for regression to non-civilized conditions.An example would be radicalized political and religious ideologies. The sources aremainly Hume’s The History of England and his many essays on contemporary Englishconditions

This book is included in DOAB.