This work has been with me a labor of love. The gathering of materials for it, and the writing of it, as carrying me into what I feel to be interesting scenes, have afforded me great pleasure, which is the only reward I am likely to get. I publish it, as the last, and to me the only remaining, means of testifying my regard for my country—loved all the more because I am now far from it—and my country's philosophy, which has been the means of stimulating thought in so many of Scotland's sons.

The English-speaking public, British and American, has of late been listening to divers forms of philosophy, —to Coleridge, to Kant, to Cousin, to Hegel, to Comte, to Berkeley,—and is now inclined to a materialistic psychology. Not finding permanent satisfaction in any of these, it is surely possible that it may grant a hearing to the sober philosophy of Scotland.

M. Cousin has remarked that the philosophy of Scotland is part- of the history of the country, I have treated it as such ; and I claim to have one qualification for the work: I am in thorough sympathy with the characteristic sentiments of my native land. I have farther tried to make my work a contribution to what may be regarded as a new department of science, the history of thought, which is quite as important as the history of wars, of commerce, of literature, or of civilization.

Some of these articles have appeared in the "North British Review," the "British and Foreign Evangelical Review," and the "Dublin University Magazine;" but the greater number are now given to the public for the first time, and all of them have been rewritten.

J. McC
Princeton, New Jersey,
October, 1874.

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Another book on this subject is...

Scottish Philosophy in its National Development
By Henry Laurie LL.D. (1902)

PREFACE

This work was originally intended to form one of a series, projected by Professor Knight of St. Andrews, on Philosophy in its National Developments. Though the idea of such a series has been abandoned, little excuse will, I hope, be required for the appearance of this volume. The philosophy of Scotland deserves, indeed, to be treated as a national development. Every philosophy is an expression of the spirit of its time; and the mental life of Scotland is clearly mirrored in its intellectual and moral philosophy. The Scotland which gave birth to men so diverse as John Knox and Robert Burns produced also David Hume, and Thomas Eeid, and Sir William Hamilton; and its philosophies of scepticism and common sense, though influenced by the thought of other countries, have drawn their special sustenance from the national history and character.

There is room, if I mistake not, for a concise and connected statement, in the light of recent thought, of the course of philosophy in Scotland. A philosophy often discloses its features more distinctly as we are borne away from it; and its history may require from time to time to be rewritten. The late Dr. M Cosh's work on The Scottish Philosophy, published in 1875, is a valuable repository of facts, but as a critical record it must now appear to be extremely unsatisfactory. Far more importance attaches to separate studies of the greater Scottish thinkers which have appeared in intermediate years, and to references to the philosophy of Scotland to be found in recent works. While philosophy has entered on new phases, we are now, for this very reason, able to discern more clearly the leading characteristics of Scottish philosophy, and to estimate the heritage which it has bequeathed to younger generations.

No student of philosophy can afford to neglect the past; but he cannot be expected to peruse the works of all who were famous in their time, or the discussions to which they have given rise. And there are many who, without any pretence to be specialists in philosophy, take an intelligent interest in the history of thought. To such readers, it is hoped that this volume will be of service.

UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, 1901.

CONTENTS.

I. INTRODUCTORY
II. FRANCIS HUTCHESON
III. ANDREW BAXTER
IV. DAVID HUME
V. LORD KAMES
VI. ADAM SMITH
VII. THOMAS REID
VIII. GEORGE CAMPBELL
IX. OSWALD AND BEATTIE
X. LORD MONBODDO
XL ADAM FERGUSON
XII. DUGALD STEWART
XIII. THOMAS BROWN
XIV. THOMAS CHALMERS
XV. SIR WILLIAM HAMILTON
XVI. JAMES FREDERICK FERRIER
XVII. AESTHETIC THEORIES
XVIII. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

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