The first extended comparison of the philosophies of Gilles Deleuze and David HumeJeffrey Bell argues that Deleuze s early work on Hume was instrumental to Deleuze s formulation of the problems and concepts that would remain the focus of his entire corpus Reading Deleuze s work in light of Hume s influence along with a comparison of Deleuze s work with William James Henri Bergson and others sets the stage for a vigorous defence of his philosophy against a number of recent criticisms It also extends the field of Deleuze studies by showing how Deleuze s thought can clarify and contribute to the work being done in political theory cultural studies and history particularly the history of the Scottish Enlightenment By engaging Deleuze s thought with the work of Hume this book clarifies and supports the work of Deleuze and exemplifies the continuing relevance of Hume s thought to a number of contemporary debates