October 20, 2004

THE SCOTTISH ENLIGHTENMENT vs. the French Enlightenment -- Michael Blowhard takes sides (lots of great linkage). Quotable:
Bizarrely, this era began being thought of as "the Scottish Englightenment" and being studied for its own sake only 40 or so years ago. I'm by no means a scholar on the topic, but I've read a fair amount of Hume and Smith, I've sampled some of the others, and I've read (and can recommend) two good recent books about the era: this one and this one. But still I was knocked out when I learned about the era and its thinkers. Post-Enlightenment stupid-knots in my brain relaxed their grip; sensible thoughts took the place of tormented ones. I sighed with relief and wondered: "Why didn't anyone tell me about this long ago?" I wonder if other people as puzzled by our supposedly inevitable post-Enlightenment predicament might not get as healty a kick out of a quick visit with these Scotsmen as I did.
See also David Denby's essay on the Scottish Enlightenment in the current New Yorker. Posted by Greg Ransom | TrackBack