The Enlightenment in Scotland

In Our Time: History

BBC

History

4.4 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 5 December 2002

⏱️ 28 minutes

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Summary

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century. In 1696 the Edinburgh student, Thomas Aitkenhead, claimed theology was "a rhapsody of feigned and ill invented nonsense". He was hanged for his trouble - just one victim of a repressive religious society called the Scottish Kirk. Yet within 60 years Scotland was transformed by the ideas sweeping the continent in what we call the Enlightenment. This Scottish Enlightenment emerged on a broad front. From philosophy to farming it championed empiricism, questioned religion and debated reason. It was crowned by the philosophical brilliance of David Hume and by Adam Smith – the father of modern economics. But what led to this ‘Scottish Miracle’, was it an indigenous phenomenon or did it depend on influence from abroad? It profoundly influenced the American revolutionaries and the British Empire, but what legacy does it have for Scotland today?With Professor Tom Devine, Director of the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies at the University of Aberdeen; Karen O’Brien, Reader in English and American Literature at the University of Warwick; Alexander Broadie, Professor of Logic and Rhetoric at the University of Glasgow.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Thanks for downloading the Inartime podcast. For more details about Inartime and for our terms of use
0:05.4	Please go to bbc.co.uk forward slash radio for I hope you enjoy the program
0:11.5	Hello in 1696 the Edinburgh student Thomas Aikenhead aged 18 claimed the theology was quote a
0:18.5	Rhapsody of fainting and ill-invented nonsense on quote. He was hanged
0:22.7	Just one victim of a repressive religious society called a Scottish cook yet within 50 years
0:28.5	Scotland was transformed by the ideas sweeping the continent in what we call the Enlightenment this Scottish Enlightenment
0:35.0	Imagine a broad front from philosophy to farming a champion empiricism question religion and debated reason
0:41.9	It was crowned by the philosophical brilliance of David Hume and by Adam Smith the father of modern economics
0:48.0	But what led to this Scottish miracle?
0:50.2	Was it an indigenous phenomenon or did it depend on influence from abroad?
0:54.2	It profoundly influenced the American revolutionaries and the British Empire
0:57.9	But what legacy does it have for Scotland today with me to discuss the Scottish Enlightenment at Professor Tom Devine
1:04.1	Director of the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies at the University of Aberdeen and author of the Scottish Nation
1:10.7	Karen O'Brien reader in English and American literature at the University of Warwick and
1:14.7	Alexander Brody professor of logic and rhetoric at the University of Glasgow and author of the Scottish Enlightenment
1:21.2	Tom Devine, can you give us a broad definition of the Scottish Enlightenment?
1:25.4	I think the markers of the Enlightenment were the extraordinary range of achievement
1:30.0	I mean as you've indicated yourself Melvin already, you know everything from geology through to philosophy
1:35.0	Everything from poetry through to painting and also the fact that it's aligned with the great economic transformation of the time
1:41.5	The second thing I think which is absolutely typical is that the sheer quality of the achievement
1:46.2	It's not simply range, it's in-depth brilliance because some of the superstars of the 18th century
1:53.2	You know belong to this particular movement
	...

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