The Scottish Enlightenment — P6/P7
A P6/P7 knowledge organiser on the Scottish Enlightenment — Hume, Adam Smith, Watt, Black — and why Scotland led world thought in the 18th century.
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The Scottish Enlightenment
- 1 What it was From about 1740 to 1800, Edinburgh and Scottish cities led the world in philosophy, economics, science, and medicine. Thinkers came from across Europe to learn.
- 2 Why Scotland? Four universities (England had only Oxford and Cambridge). Church of Scotland valued literacy. Religious culture encouraged questioning. Strong European connections.
- 3 David Hume (1711-1776) Philosopher and historian. Challenged religious certainty through reason and evidence. One of the most important figures in Western philosophy.
- 4 Adam Smith (1723-1790) The Wealth of Nations (1776) founded modern economics — division of labour, free markets, the invisible hand. Born in Kirkcaldy.
- 5 James Watt (1736-1819) Engineer. Improved the steam engine dramatically. His work powered the Industrial Revolution. The unit of power — the watt — is named after him.
- 6 Joseph Black (1728-1799) Chemist. Discovered carbon dioxide and latent heat. Taught at Glasgow and Edinburgh.
- 7 Legacy Scottish Enlightenment ideas spread to America and Europe. The American Declaration of Independence (1776) was significantly influenced by Scottish Enlightenment thought.
Learning objective
Explain the Enlightenment; describe Hume, Smith, Watt, and Black; explain why Scotland produced such output; trace influence on America and Europe.
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Scottish Enlightenment resources
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