A new history of Hartley's Observations on Man

In 1749 David Hartley published his Observations, a work of great historical significance, yet the history of the Observations has been frequently debated. Establishing an accurate history of the Observations is, therefore, warranted. This has been undertaken here by reexamining known source materials, as well as additional primary documents not previously applied to Hartley studies. Significant historical information has been gleaned from transcribing the Hartley-Lister shorthand correspondence. The synthesis of material from these sources has led to a new history of the stages of conceptual development, composition, and publication of Hartley's Observations that differs substantially from previous accounts.