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.

‘… this valuable collection …’

Source: 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.'

Source: Journal of Scottish Philosophy

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

Source: Ambix