The Cambridge Companion to the Scottish Enlightenment

The Cambridge Companion to the Scottish Enlightenment offers a philosophical perspective on an eighteenth-century movement that has been profoundly influential on western culture. A distinguished team of contributors examines the writings of David Hume, Adam Smith, Thomas Reid, Adam Ferguson, Colin Maclaurin and other Scottish thinkers, in fields including philosophy, natural theology, economics, anthropology, natural science and law. In addition, the contributors relate the Scottish Enlightenment to its historical context and assess its impact and legacy in Europe, America and beyond. The result is a comprehensive and accessible volume that illuminates the richness, the intellectual variety and the underlying unity of this important movement. It will be of interest to a wide range of readers in philosophy, theology, literature and the history of ideas.

• Wide range of subject coverage • Wide range of expertise in the international team of contributors • Attention paid to the impact of the Scottish Enlightenment on Europe and America

Introduction Alexander Broadie; 1. The context of the Scottish Enlightenment Roger Emerson; 2. Religion and rational theory M. A. Stewart; 3. The human mind and its powers Alexander Broadie; 4. Anthropology: the ‘original’ of human nature Aaron Garrett; 5. Science in the Scottish Enlightenment Paul Wood; 6. Scepticism and common sense Heiner Klemme; 7. Moral sense and the foundations of morals Luigi Turco; 8. The political theory of the Scottish Enlightenment Fania Oz-Salzberger; 9. Economic theory Andrew Skinner; 10. Natural jurisprudence and the theory of justice Knud Haakonssen; 11. Legal theory John Cairns; 12. Sociality and socialisation Christopher J. Berry; 13. Historiography Murray Pittock; 14. Art and aesthetic theory Alexander Broadie; 15. The impact on Europe Michel Malherbe; 16. The impact on America: Scottish philosophy and the American Founding Samuel Fleischacker; 17. The nineteenth-century aftermath Gordon Graham.

‘… this valuable collection …’ – Contemporary Review

\'… succeeds admirably in providing wide coverage of Scottish intellectual life from 1681 to 1795 … the present volume will be useful to a wide variety of readers interested in the Enlightenment in Scotland.\' – Journal of Scottish Philosophy

\'Historians of science will rejoice to find how well-written this book is …\' – Ambix