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The Scottish Enlightenment: The Historical Age of the Historical Nation
Book by Broadie, Alexander
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
About the author
Alexander Broadie
29 books8 followersAlexander Broadie FRSE is a Scottish philosopher and emeritus professor of logic and rhetoric at Glasgow University. He writes on the Scottish philosophical tradition, chiefly the philosophy of the Pre-Reformation period, the 17th century, and the Enlightenment.
Broadie attended the Royal High School, Edinburgh, the University of Edinburgh (MA), Balliol College, Oxford (MLitt), and the University of Glasgow (PhD, DLitt). He was Henry Duncan prize lecturer in Scottish Studies, Royal Society of Edinburgh (1990 - 1993), and has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh since 1991. As Gifford Lecturer in Natural Theology at Aberdeen University in 1994, he delivered a series of Lectures published under the title The Shadow of Scotus: Philosophy and Faith in Pre-Reformation Scotland (1995). Since demitting his professorship of logic and rhetoric at Glasgow University (held from 1994 to 2009) he has been honorary professorial research fellow there, mainly researching 17th-century Scottish philosophy.
In 2007 Broadie was awarded the degree of DUniv honoris causa by Blaise Pascal University at Clermont-Ferrand in recognition of his contribution to Franco-Scottish collaboration in the field of the history of philosophy.
Broadie's A History of Scottish Philosophy (2009) was named Saltire Society Scottish History Book of the Year. In July 2018 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Eighteenth-Century Scottish Studies Society, and in 2020 was appointed honorary vice-president of the Saltire Society in recognition of his contribution to Scottish philosophy.
Broadie attended the Royal High School, Edinburgh, the University of Edinburgh (MA), Balliol College, Oxford (MLitt), and the University of Glasgow (PhD, DLitt). He was Henry Duncan prize lecturer in Scottish Studies, Royal Society of Edinburgh (1990 - 1993), and has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh since 1991. As Gifford Lecturer in Natural Theology at Aberdeen University in 1994, he delivered a series of Lectures published under the title The Shadow of Scotus: Philosophy and Faith in Pre-Reformation Scotland (1995). Since demitting his professorship of logic and rhetoric at Glasgow University (held from 1994 to 2009) he has been honorary professorial research fellow there, mainly researching 17th-century Scottish philosophy.
In 2007 Broadie was awarded the degree of DUniv honoris causa by Blaise Pascal University at Clermont-Ferrand in recognition of his contribution to Franco-Scottish collaboration in the field of the history of philosophy.
Broadie's A History of Scottish Philosophy (2009) was named Saltire Society Scottish History Book of the Year. In July 2018 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Eighteenth-Century Scottish Studies Society, and in 2020 was appointed honorary vice-president of the Saltire Society in recognition of his contribution to Scottish philosophy.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 29, 2015
Overall it's an insightful book giving a broad perspective of the Scottish Enlightenment, from philosophy to arts and science. The author also discusses his views quite efficiently with many examples, though I found the writing style a bit dry at times (hence rounded down a 3.5 stars to 3)
July 17, 2021
The Scottish Enlightenment
Erudite and philosophical, Alexander Broadie explores the essence of what prompted the Scottish Enlightenment, and how an epoch in any Country becomes known as an "Enlightenment". Subsequently, he dwells on the inherited Scottishness of the Scottish Enlightenment and why it was so unique to the rest of Europe.
The Enlightenment period is particularly characterised by an influx of philosophers and free-thinkers that wish to commit to reasoning and rationalising why authoritative bodies are as such, an authority. Inevitably, this led to debates regarding the Church, Government, and human nature. The author thus examines the prominent philosophers tackling these issues, as well as the artists who contributed in ways of introducing philosophy in painting and conveying thoughts of human nature at the individual level whereas the philosopher considers on the universal level.
Erudite and philosophical, Alexander Broadie explores the essence of what prompted the Scottish Enlightenment, and how an epoch in any Country becomes known as an "Enlightenment". Subsequently, he dwells on the inherited Scottishness of the Scottish Enlightenment and why it was so unique to the rest of Europe.
The Enlightenment period is particularly characterised by an influx of philosophers and free-thinkers that wish to commit to reasoning and rationalising why authoritative bodies are as such, an authority. Inevitably, this led to debates regarding the Church, Government, and human nature. The author thus examines the prominent philosophers tackling these issues, as well as the artists who contributed in ways of introducing philosophy in painting and conveying thoughts of human nature at the individual level whereas the philosopher considers on the universal level.
April 11, 2017
When I thought of the Enlightenment, I always meant the “French” Enlightenment, dominated by Voltaire, Diderot, Montesquieu, Descartes, Rousseau, La Place, and others, though the intellectual revolution took place all over Europe of course.
According to author Broadie, there was a distinctive character of Enlightenment thinking in Scotland, distinct enough be labeled “The Scottish Enlightenment.” The distinct characteristic of Scottish thinking at the time seems to have arisen almost entirely from the mind of philosopher David Hume, supported by economist Adam Smith (“The Wealth of Nations”), and moral philosopher Adam Ferguson.
Hume famously wrote, in his Treatise of Human Nature, “Reason is, and ought only to be, the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them” (Treatise, p. 415).
This idea contradicts the spirit of the French Enlightenment, which held forth that reason is the way to tame the passions, and that is the method that mankind needs to find betterment, and freedom from religion, superstition, and oppression. Yet here was Hume saying that reason can only serve the passions. Was he right?
Hume said that reason is just a tool of thinking and is not responsible for its outcomes. People can argue that the crops failed because of changed weather or because of God’s punishment. Reason is used to argue and justify what is already known by the passions.
I spent over a decade browbeating college students about the benefits of evidence-based reasoning, for their own good and for the good of humankind. Was I wrong? After re-reading some Hume, I panicked and began to worry that what I was teaching was a lie. I bought this book to help me out.
I was almost devastated by Hume but after reading this book, I think I can reasonably justify my original and passionate belief! Hume’s error was his failure to discriminate between the context of discourse and thinking in general.
When you conceptualize an idea for discourse, reason and evidence are persuasive forms of rhetoric, and can change minds, and can prevail. It’s true, as Hume said, that reasoned arguments are formulated after the fact, to justify beliefs we already hold, but what he failed to note was that reasoned arguments can also be persuasive, causing a listener to change his or her beliefs. If this were not so, there would be no point to science, or even education, because nobody would ever budge from their initial biases.
As it is, however, some people are persuaded by evidence-based reasoning and do modify their initial “passionate” beliefs because of it. Hume was therefore incorrect in saying that reason can only be slave to passion. Thank god! So I was not teaching my students lies all those years, I was simply not giving the full picture.
After reading Broadie’s book and giving it much thought, I can agree that the main themes of the Scottish Enlightenment were indeed a unique contribution to that period of European history, but not the direct challenge to the French Enlightenment that they are sometimes made out to be. But definitely watch out for David Hume, a very tricky guy.
According to author Broadie, there was a distinctive character of Enlightenment thinking in Scotland, distinct enough be labeled “The Scottish Enlightenment.” The distinct characteristic of Scottish thinking at the time seems to have arisen almost entirely from the mind of philosopher David Hume, supported by economist Adam Smith (“The Wealth of Nations”), and moral philosopher Adam Ferguson.
Hume famously wrote, in his Treatise of Human Nature, “Reason is, and ought only to be, the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them” (Treatise, p. 415).
This idea contradicts the spirit of the French Enlightenment, which held forth that reason is the way to tame the passions, and that is the method that mankind needs to find betterment, and freedom from religion, superstition, and oppression. Yet here was Hume saying that reason can only serve the passions. Was he right?
Hume said that reason is just a tool of thinking and is not responsible for its outcomes. People can argue that the crops failed because of changed weather or because of God’s punishment. Reason is used to argue and justify what is already known by the passions.
I spent over a decade browbeating college students about the benefits of evidence-based reasoning, for their own good and for the good of humankind. Was I wrong? After re-reading some Hume, I panicked and began to worry that what I was teaching was a lie. I bought this book to help me out.
I was almost devastated by Hume but after reading this book, I think I can reasonably justify my original and passionate belief! Hume’s error was his failure to discriminate between the context of discourse and thinking in general.
When you conceptualize an idea for discourse, reason and evidence are persuasive forms of rhetoric, and can change minds, and can prevail. It’s true, as Hume said, that reasoned arguments are formulated after the fact, to justify beliefs we already hold, but what he failed to note was that reasoned arguments can also be persuasive, causing a listener to change his or her beliefs. If this were not so, there would be no point to science, or even education, because nobody would ever budge from their initial biases.
As it is, however, some people are persuaded by evidence-based reasoning and do modify their initial “passionate” beliefs because of it. Hume was therefore incorrect in saying that reason can only be slave to passion. Thank god! So I was not teaching my students lies all those years, I was simply not giving the full picture.
After reading Broadie’s book and giving it much thought, I can agree that the main themes of the Scottish Enlightenment were indeed a unique contribution to that period of European history, but not the direct challenge to the French Enlightenment that they are sometimes made out to be. But definitely watch out for David Hume, a very tricky guy.
May 23, 2022
Broadie's "The Scottish Enlightenment" is an excellent primer on the thinking and figures of the Scottish Enlightenment - in that order. The book delves more directly into the different facets of Scottish Enlightenment thinking than it does on a historical chronology or biography of the different figures involved. As a result, I found Herman's "How the Scots Invented the Modern World" useful preparatory reading for this book.
"The Scottish Enlightenment" covers the meaning of "enlightenment" in Scotland, and the enlightenment vis-à-vis history, morality, religion, the arts, and science. It does so in a very organized way, generally introducing Scottish Enlightenment thinking and debates and then drawing thoroughly on specific examples from selected figures. While I liked the chapter on history, I especially loved the chapter on the arts - the reflections on aesthetics and the arts was surprisingly beautiful and thought-provoking.
A brief book of just over 220 pages of text, but pack full of insights. Highly recommended for anyone interested in philosophy, in the Enlightenment, in the philosophical influences behind the American founding (and, partly, of modernity itself).
"The Scottish Enlightenment" covers the meaning of "enlightenment" in Scotland, and the enlightenment vis-à-vis history, morality, religion, the arts, and science. It does so in a very organized way, generally introducing Scottish Enlightenment thinking and debates and then drawing thoroughly on specific examples from selected figures. While I liked the chapter on history, I especially loved the chapter on the arts - the reflections on aesthetics and the arts was surprisingly beautiful and thought-provoking.
A brief book of just over 220 pages of text, but pack full of insights. Highly recommended for anyone interested in philosophy, in the Enlightenment, in the philosophical influences behind the American founding (and, partly, of modernity itself).
July 12, 2020
A good survey of the philosophies of the main players in academia, law, religion, and the arts. Felt like I was reading the author's lecture notes for an undergraduate course, which was a good thing for me!
January 18, 2023
Serviceable as a broad introduction to the topic.
December 7, 2023
BOOOOOOOOORIIIIING.
Lowkey the Scottish Enlightenment was cool though. Crazy how they were so small and yet had such an amazing impact on academia.
Lowkey the Scottish Enlightenment was cool though. Crazy how they were so small and yet had such an amazing impact on academia.
August 21, 2016
A fantastic book covering the period of Scotland's oft-forgotten enlightenment, from politics, philosophy, morality, religion and the Union with England, to architecture, science and economics, this book should be read by every Scottish person with even the vaguest interest in their country's history and the impact the country has had on the world and continues to have to this day.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews