Francis Hutcheson (1694-1746)

About Hutcheson

  • Professor of Moral Philosophy at Glasgow, 1729-1746
  • Educated in Ireland and at Glasgow where he was a student of John Loudoun (ODNB*)

Teaching

  • Recommended reading, ‘To the Students in Universities’ in A Short Introduction to Moral Philosophy includes Grotius, Cumberland, Pufendorf, Harrington, Carmichael’s commentary on de officio hominis et civis, Shaftesbury, Locke, Barbeyrac, and Bynkershoek, pp. i-iv Available from Online Library of Liberty
  • ‘renowned as a moral preacher who taught in an animated and extemporaneous fashion’ (ODNB* at entry for Thomas Reid whose ‘dry manner’ is contrasted)

Publications

  • F Hutcheson, Essay on the Nature and Conduct of the Passions and Affections, with Illustrations on the Moral Sense (Dublin and Glasgow, 1728) Available from the Internet Archive
  • F Hutcheson, Philosophiae moralis institutio compendiaria, ethices & jurisprudentiae naturalis elementa continens (Glasgow, 1742) Available from the Internet Archive
  • F Hutcheson, A short introduction to moral philosophy, in three books; containing the elements of ethicks and the law of nature. By Francis Hutcheson, Lld. Late Professor of Philosophy in the University of Glasgow. Translated from the Latin (Glasgow: Robert Foulis, 1747) (Book II: ‘Elements of the Law of Nature’) Available from Online Library of Liberty and Google Books

NPG D4399; Francis Hutcheson by Francesco Bartolozzi, after  A. Selvi

Francis Hutcheson
by Francesco Bartolozzi, after A. Selvi
stipple engraving, circa 1750-1800
NPG D4399
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Creative Commons Licence

*For references, see the Site Bibliography.

Dugald Stewart (1753-1828)

About Stewart

  • Professor of moral philosophy at Edinburgh, 1778-1810

Publications, Manuscripts and Other Resources

  • Outlines of Moral Philosophy for the Use of Students in the University of Edinburgh (Edinburgh: W. Creech, 1793) [Many editions into the nineteenth century]
  • Philosophical essays (Edinburgh : William Creech, 1810)
  • The philosophy of the active and moral powers of men  (Edinburgh : London printed for Adam Black, Edinburgh; and Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, London, 1828)
  • Lectures and Letters of Dugald Stewart (1753-1828) [circa 21 mss volumes, some fragile – access may be restricted; includes notes from lectures on moral philosophy] [EUL, various shelfmarks. See details at Archives Hub entry: http://archiveshub.ac.uk/data/gb237-coll-505]
  • Lecture notes of Dugald Stewart by Robert Eden Scott on moral philosophy (1785-1786) [Lecture notes on moral philosophy taken at Edinburgh University] [AUL, MS 190-191]

NPG 1428; Dugald Stewart by John Henning
Dugald Stewart
by John Henning
pencil and chalk, 1811
NPG 1428
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Creative Commons Licence

*For references, see the Site Bibliography.

David Fordyce (bap. 1711, d. 1751)

About Fordyce

  • Professor of Moral Philosophy at Marischal College, University of Aberdeen, 1742 to 1751

Teaching

  • The Elements of Moral Philosophy – based on his ethics lectures (Wood, Aberdeen Enlightenment 53*)

Publications, Manuscripts, and other Resources

  • David Fordyce, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, in Three Books with a Brief Account of the Nature, Progress, and Origin of Philosophy, ed Thomas Kennedy (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2003) Available from Online Library of Liberty.
  • David Fordyce, ‘A Brief Account of the Nature, Progress and Origin of Philosophy delivered by the late Mr. David Fordyce, P. P. Marish. Col: Abdn. to his Scholars, before they begun the Philosophical course. Anno 1743/4’. (Johnson’s Handlist: ‘Fair copy written after death of Fordyce’) [AUL, MS M.184]

*For references, see the Site Bibliography.

Adam Smith (1723-1790)

NB: This page is under construction (Sept 2013)

About Smith

  • Taught by Francis Hutcheson
  • Used Hutchson’s Philosophiae moralis institutio compendiara, ethicis & jurisprudentiae naturalis elementa continuen as his textbook when covering for the ill Thomas Craigie in 1751 (Ross, Life of Adam Smith 112*)
  • Professor of moral philosophy at Glasgow, 1752-1764

Teaching

  • Letter from A Smith, Edinburgh, 5 Sept 1751, to Dr William Cullen: ‘You mention natural jurisprudence & politics as parts of his lecture which it would be most agreeable for me to take upon…’ University of Glagsow, Special Collections MS Cullen 1157
  • Followed Hutcheson‘s curriculum (Cairns, ‘Ethics’ 166*)
  • Ethics course published as The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) (Cairns, ‘Ethics’ 166*)
  • Course on political regulation published as The Wealth of Nations (1776) (Cairns, ‘Ethics’ 166*)

Publications, Manuscripts and other Resources

  • ‘Juris Prudence or Notes from the Lectures on Justice, Police, Revenue, and Arms delivered in the University of Glasgow by Adam Smith, Professor of Moral Philosophy. MDCCLXVI [1766]'(Manuscript fair copy of notes taken by an unidentified student in 1763) University of Glasgow, Special Collections MS Gen 109
  • A Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (London and Edinburgh, 1759).
  • A Smith, Lectures On Jurisprudence, ed RL Meek, DD Raphael and PG Stein, vol. V of the Glasgow Edition of the Works and Correspondence of Adam Smith (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1982). [contains two reports dated 1762-63 and 1766 of Smith’s lectures on jurisprudence at Glasgow University].

Links

Brief Adam Smith biography at Northern Lights: The Scottish Enlightenment.

NPG D16843; Adam Smith by John Kay

Adam Smith
by John Kay
etching, 1790
NPG D16843
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Creative Commons Licence

*For references, see the Site Bibliography.

Archibald Arthur (1744-1797)

About Arthur

  • Taught by Adam Smith
  • Won prize at Glasgow for essay, ‘On the importance of natural philosophy’
  • Glasgow University Librarian: A Arthur, ed., Catalogus impressorum librorum in bibliotheca Universitatis Glasguensis (1791)

Teaching

  • Successor of Thomas Reid as Professor of Moral Philosophy (taught TR’s classes from 1780)
  • ‘His public classes, which owed much to Reid and Smith, covered three main areas: natural theology, ethics, and a combination of natural jurisprudence and politics.’ (ODNB*)

Publications, Manuscripts and other Resources

  • A Arthur, Discourses on theological and literary subjects by the late Rev. Archibald Arthur … ; with an account of some particulars in his life and character, by William Richardson (Glasgow 1803)
  • A Arthur, Essays, literary and theological: in fourteen discourses by the late Archibald Arthur, … With a biographical memoir of the author, by William Richardson, new edn (Glasgow 1812; repr 1817)
  • ‘Archibald Arthur’s notes on Thomas Reid’s lectures’ (1765), Glasgow, Mitchell Library MS 891086
  • A Arthur, ‘A discourse on the evidence of wisdom in nature’ [Juvenile composition, possibly a prize essay, not in his Discourses of 1803 or Essays of 1817], University of Glasgow, Special Collections, MS Gen 742
  • W Gossip, ‘Lectures on Moral Philosophy, given in the University of Glasgow, by Archibald Arthur, and taken down by William Gossip, 1787-88’, 4 vols., University of Glasgow, Special Collections, MS Gen 284-87
  • J Wilson, ‘Lectures on Moral Philosophy delivered at the College of Glasgow by Mr Arthur: written by John Wilson, Schoolmaster in Tarbolton (1790), Glasgow, Mitchell Library MS 76281-82
  • J Neilson, ‘Notes, taken by James Neilson from Mr Arthur’s lectures on Natural Jurisprudence, given in the University of Glasgow, from 10 March 1788 to […] 1788’, University of Glasgow, Special Collections, MS Gen 832

*For references, please see the Site Bibliography.

Gershom Carmichael (1672-1729)

Gershom Carmichael (1672-1729)

About Carmichael

  • Regent at St Andrews, 1693
  • Regent at Glasgow, 1694-1727
  • Professor of Moral Philosophy at Glasgow, 1727-1729

Teaching

  • Moral philosophy course ‘reoriented…around Pufendorf’s theories of natural law’ (Cairns, ‘Origins…Glasgow’ 157*)
  • Used Pufendorf’s textbook De officio homini et civis as text for teaching moral philosophy (Cairns, ‘Ethics’ 166*)
  • Discussed Locke’s theories and the social contract in his natural jurisprudence lectures (Wood, Aberdeen Enlightenment 181*)

Publications, Manuscripts and other Resources

  • ‘… most important publication, an extended commentary on Samuel Pufendorf’s work on the duty of man and citizen, S[amuelis] Pufendorfii de officio hominis et civis juxta legem naturalem, libri duo. Supplementis et observationibus in academicae juventutis usum auxit et illustravit Gerschomus Carmichael (1724; first edn, 1718).’ (ODNB*)
  • Pufendorf, Samuel, Freiherr von, De jure naturæ et gentium. Abridgments S. Puffendorfii de officio hominis et civis, juxta legem naturalem libri duo. Editio nova, aucta observationibus & supplementis, … adjectis a Gerschomo Carmichael … (Glasguæ: ex officina Donaldi Govan, 1718)
  • Pufendorf, Samuel, Freiherr von, De jure naturæ et gentium. Abridgments  S. Puffendorfii De officio hominis et civis, juxta legem naturalem, libri duo. Supplementis & observationibus in academicæ juventutis usum auxit & illustravit Gerschomus Carmichael, Philosophiae in Academia Glasguensi Professor. Editio Secunda priore Auctior & Emendatior (Edinburgi: typis Joannis Mosman & sociorum, impensis Joannis Paton Bibliopolae; & prostant venales apud officinam ejus in Area Parliamentaria, MDCCXXIV. [1724])
  • University of Glasgow, Archives and Business Records Centre, account of Carmichael’s teaching, 43170

*For references, see the Site Bibliography.

James Mylne (1757-1839)

About Mylne

  • Professor of moral philosophy at the University of Glasgow, 1797-1837

Publications, Manuscripts, and other Resources

  • David Murray, ‘John Jardine. Lectures on Botany, 1795. James Mylne. Lectures on Moral Philosophy, 1799’ (University of Glasgow, Special Collections MS Murray 207)
  • ‘Notes on Professor Mylne’s lectures on moral philosophy, Glasgow University, session 1815-16’ (Mitchell Library, Glasgow, MS 586134)
  • ‘Notes taken from Mr. James Mylne’s lectures [on moral philosophy] (1820) Taken by Thomas Mackenzie’ (University of Glasgow, Special Collections MS Gen 466)
  • ‘Notes of lectures on Moral Philosophy, delivered in the University of Glasgow, by James Mylne [c. 1829-30] taken by Charles Wicksteed’, 3 vols. (University of Glasgow, Special Collections MS Gen 97)
  • ‘Notes, of James Mylne’s lectures by Robert Pollok’ [nd] (University of Glasgow, Special Collections MS Gen 1355.100-33)

*For references, see the Site Bibliography.

William Law (d. 1729)

About Law

  • Regent at University of Edinburgh from 1690
  • Chair of Moral Philosophy at University of Edinburgh from 1708

Teaching

  • Taught natural law as a regent and continued to do so as a professor (Haakonssen, ‘Natural’ 262*)

 Publications, Manuscripts and other Resources

      • Dictates on ethics (1696), physics (1701), Annotationes in ontologgiam Gerrardi de Vries and Annotationes in pneumatologiam Gerrardi de Vries (1703-1704), and Annotationes in physicam generalem D. Joannis Clerici (1705) (University of Edinburgh, Centre for Research Collections, MSS Dc.7.79; Dc.8.43; Dc.8.53, ff. 43-119; Gen.71D)
      • Adv. MS 22.7.4, ‘Lectures of Prof. William Law taken by William Haldane’ (1699-1700)’ [Including from f. 49 ‘Elementa Philsophia Moralis’] (Advocates Library, Edinburgh)
      • MS Dc.8.53, ff. 42-119, ‘Dictates on Ethics (of William Law), taken down by John Smith, 1696’ (University of Edinburgh, Centre for Research Collections)
      • MS La.III.152, ‘Dictates on Ethics (of William Law), taken down by Robert Clark, 1696’ (University of Edinburgh, Centre for Research Collections)

*For references, see the Site Bibliography.

William Cleghorn (1718-1754)

About Cleghorn

  •  Professor of moral philosophy at Edinburgh, 1745-1754

Publications, Manuscripts, and other Resources

  • Student notes from his lectures, University of Edinburgh, Centre for Research Collection MSS Da.2.1p61 and Dc.3.3.6 (4 vols, taken down 1746-1747)
  • W Cleghorn, The spirit and principles of the Whigs and Jacobites compared. Being the substance of a discourse delivered to an audience of gentlemen at Edinburgh, December 22, 1745 (London: printed for R. Dodsley in Pall-Mall, and sold by M. Cooper in Paternoster-Row, 1746)

*For references, see the Site Bibliography.

1 2