Dan Dougherty
Hist 489
Leonard
12/12/14
Adam Smith: An Enlightened Life Adam Smith: An Enlightened Life is the product of a meticulously researched effort by Nicholas Phillipson to chronicle the entirety of Adam Smith’s life outside of just what information scholars have been able to glean from Smith’s few academic writings. Phillipson reconstructs Smith’s intellectual ancestry and explains what influenced Smith, and what Smith in turn gave to the rapidly changing philosophical culture of Edinburgh as it entered the Scottish Enlightenment. Above all he explains how Smith’s ideas developed with those of his closest friend, another huge name of the Scottish Enlightenment, David Hume. Phillipson extended his research deep into Smith’s upbringing …show more content…
The first three chapters of the book deals with the birth of Smith around 1723 in Kirkcaldy, Scotland and the emerging issues ideas of the day such as the economic ramifications union with England in 1707, the origins of the modern university in Scotland, and the political scholars that were gaining prominence. This book demonstrates that Smith and his philosophies did not appear from nowhere but were really expressions of the ideas of the unique Scottish period of the Enlightenment. Phillipson provides a detailed overview of the connections between Smith and the leading philosophers of this movement and how they influenced each other and advanced the concepts of the Scottish Enlightenment itself. Phillipson mentions most, Francis Hutcheson and David Hume. Phillipson turns to Smith’s six years at Oxford to determine Hume’s impact on Smith. The development of this close personal and intellectual lifelong friendship was one of the most influential in shaping Smith’s own philosophies. Phillipson also mentions Smith's interest in the revolutionary ideas that were erupting from France at this …show more content…
Smith did not want to be remembered so much as he wanted his ideas to live on through his crowning achievement the Wealth of Nations. One hugely important primary resource for Phillipson were descriptions of Smith’s Edinburgh lectures which not only launched his academic career, but granted him a habitat in which Smith could formulate his ideas. Phillipson also illustrates his work with maps of towns such as Kirkcaldy, Smith’s place of birth and Edinburgh which was the intellectual center of 18th century
Hist 489
Leonard
12/12/14
Adam Smith: An Enlightened Life Adam Smith: An Enlightened Life is the product of a meticulously researched effort by Nicholas Phillipson to chronicle the entirety of Adam Smith’s life outside of just what information scholars have been able to glean from Smith’s few academic writings. Phillipson reconstructs Smith’s intellectual ancestry and explains what influenced Smith, and what Smith in turn gave to the rapidly changing philosophical culture of Edinburgh as it entered the Scottish Enlightenment. Above all he explains how Smith’s ideas developed with those of his closest friend, another huge name of the Scottish Enlightenment, David Hume. Phillipson extended his research deep into Smith’s upbringing …show more content…
The first three chapters of the book deals with the birth of Smith around 1723 in Kirkcaldy, Scotland and the emerging issues ideas of the day such as the economic ramifications union with England in 1707, the origins of the modern university in Scotland, and the political scholars that were gaining prominence. This book demonstrates that Smith and his philosophies did not appear from nowhere but were really expressions of the ideas of the unique Scottish period of the Enlightenment. Phillipson provides a detailed overview of the connections between Smith and the leading philosophers of this movement and how they influenced each other and advanced the concepts of the Scottish Enlightenment itself. Phillipson mentions most, Francis Hutcheson and David Hume. Phillipson turns to Smith’s six years at Oxford to determine Hume’s impact on Smith. The development of this close personal and intellectual lifelong friendship was one of the most influential in shaping Smith’s own philosophies. Phillipson also mentions Smith's interest in the revolutionary ideas that were erupting from France at this …show more content…
Smith did not want to be remembered so much as he wanted his ideas to live on through his crowning achievement the Wealth of Nations. One hugely important primary resource for Phillipson were descriptions of Smith’s Edinburgh lectures which not only launched his academic career, but granted him a habitat in which Smith could formulate his ideas. Phillipson also illustrates his work with maps of towns such as Kirkcaldy, Smith’s place of birth and Edinburgh which was the intellectual center of 18th century