It was the age of david hume, thomas reid and adam smith, of adam. The term conjectural history was coined by dugald stewart to describe this method of procedure11. Jul 01, 2010 edited and introduced by alexander broadie. In most cases, it is of more importance to ascertain the progress that is most simple, than the progress that is most agreeable to fact account, p. By these, said they, we acquired our lands, and with these we will defend them.
He was educated at the citys royal high school where he became interested in the classics, and in session 17651766 entered edinburgh university attending greek, logic, and natural. Prefacing adam smiths writings, stewart considered that some of his works belonged to a particular sort of inquiry entirely of modern origin stewart 1795. In his biographical account of smiths life, his friend dugald stewart described smiths method as conjectural history, initiating a debate which has continued ever since. Pdf hume, conjectural history, and the uniformity of. He was the son of matthew stewart 17151785, professor of mathematics at edinburgh university. In examining the history of mankind, as well as in examining the phenomena of the natural world, stewart wrote in his life of adam smith, when we cannot trace the process by which an eventhas been produced, it is often of importance to be able to. Introduction, forum for modern language studies 10. Full text of the works of dugald stewart internet archive. Of this sort of conjectural or theoretical history. Gleanings from dugald stewarts works, with additions.
As stewart saw it, such history makes space for speculation about causes of events, by postulating natural causes. Conjectural history is a type of historiography isolated in the 1790s by dugald stewart, who termed it theoretical or conjectural history, as prevalent in the historians and early social scientists of the scottish enlightenment. As stewart saw it, such history makes space for speculation about causes of events, by postulating natural causes that could have had such an effect. Of this sort of conjectural or theoretical history, the most unexceptionable specimens which have yet appeared. Human nature the science of man david hume the unity of the sciences dugald stewart the theory of ideas david hume mind and its operations thomas reid pt. The collected works of dugald stewartvolume 1preface. Dugald stewart formulates the principle underlying conjectural history. One is to attempt to base on general considerations, on what dugald stewart calls known principles of human nature, conjectures as to first beginningsof political society hobbes, of. Stewart meant that smith used informed conjecture to fill the unavoidable gaps in the historical evidence, though hostile commentators have interpreted it as saying. Yet it is hard to see why, in his view, conjectural histories are not merely confabulated justso stories.
Hume and conjectural history journal of scottish philosophy. Sep 22, 2015 the collected works of dugald stewart volume 1. Dugald stewart stewart, dugald, 17531828 the online. This paper examines stewart s views about the epistemic and moral value of conjectural history. Dugald stewart frse frs was a scottish philosopher and mathematician. The scottish enlightenment is one of the great achievements of european culture. Dugald stewart definition of dugald stewart by the free. Dugald stewart was born in edinburgh on 22 november 1753. Page 251 the proper distinction in the use of these particles, is elegantly marked in a passage of dr. Dugald stewart author of elements of the philosophy of the. This method of procedure was justified by dugald stewart as follows. Dugald stewart called these works theoretical or conjectural 34 histories because they offered hypotheses that would be in accord with and help explain the historical record, just as a history of physics or mathematics offers hypotheses that seek to be in accord with and help explain observable phenomena in the natural world. Identifying the methodological achievement of scottish enlightenment historians and philosophers in a retrospective assessment of the life and writings of adam smith delivered to the royal society of edinburgh rse in 1793, dugald stewart coined what would become a famous phrase.
Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet. It is dugald stewart who coined the term and identified the methods chief features in 1795, when conjectural history was already wellestablished among scottish authors. Reid emphasized mans innate ability to perceive common ideas and that this process is inherent in and interdependent. Scottish philosophy in 18th century scotland in the. Best sellers gift ideas new releases whole foods todays deals amazonbasics. The pride and ornament of scotland by gordon macintyre isbn. The collected works of dugald stewart volume 1 by dugald stewart preface. In philosophy, law, economics, politics, linguistics and the physical sciences, scots were key players in changing the way the world was viewed. Dugald stewart s most popular book is elements of the philosophy of the human mind, volume 1. Conjectural history in his biographical account of smiths life, his friend dugald stewart described smiths method as conjectural history, initiating a debate about the methodological basis of smiths history which has continued ever since. Jan 01, 2006 dugald stewart called these works theoretical or conjectural 34 histories because they offered hypotheses that would be in accord with and help explain the historical record, just as a history of physics or mathematics offers hypotheses that seek to be in accord with and help explain observable phenomena in the natural world. In 1775 he took over his fathers chair and 10 years later was appointed professor of. Dugald stewart was appointed assistant professor of mathematics in the university of edinburgh in 1772, aged only 19.
I will briefly distinguish the meaning of humes natural history from civil, ecclesiastical, universal, and popular histories, as well as from other kinds of natural history and from the genre invented later by dugald stewart but with reference to humes book of conjectural history. Pdf hume, conjectural history, and the uniformity of human. The values and ideas of the scottish enlightenment were carried south of the border by the former students of dugald stewart. He is best known for popularizing the scottish enlightenment and his lectures at the university of edinburgh were widely disseminated by his many influential students. Dugald stewart scottish philosopher and follower of thomas reid stewart. The scottish enlightenment the history of economic.
To the modern reader this might appear a rather large if, but the projectof the sketches is of a piece with a widespread commitment on the part of eighteenthcentury scots to what dugald stewart called theoretical or. Ethics morality and the moral sense francis hutcheson morality and benevolence david hume sympathy, propriety and merit adam smith on the proper estimate. Scottish common sense realism, also known as the scottish school of common sense, is a realist school of philosophy that originated in the ideas of scottish philosophers thomas reid, adam ferguson, james beattie, and dugald stewart during the 18thcentury scottish enlightenment. He is best known for popularizing the scottish enlightenment, for his lectures at the university of edinburgh were widely disseminated by his many influential students. This history, first practiced by montesquieu, later explored by scottish, sociologists like adam ferguson, and finally christened theoretical or conjectural history, was sociology. When one of the old scottish kings was making an inquiry into the tenure by which his nobles held their lands, they started up, and drew their swords. Dugald stewart, philosopher and major exponent of the scottish common sense school of philosophy. Featured texts all books all texts latest this just in smithsonian libraries fedlink us genealogy lincoln collection. Books by peter gay the erilightenment portwood history class. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. He became one of the most influential academics in the eighteenth and nineteenthcentury european republic of letters. Dugald stewart synonyms, dugald stewart pronunciation, dugald stewart translation, english dictionary definition of dugald stewart. He remarked on its use in the writings of adam smith, but the sort of inquiry to which we find stewart referring is a method for understanding social phenomena which was.
Dugald stewart on conjectural history and human nature. Because humes position does not conform in any simple sense to dugald stewarts incontrovertible logical maxim that the capacities of the human mind have been the same in all ages, stewarts account of the method of conjectural history is, in any simple sense, inadequate as a description of humes practice. Because humes position does not conform in any simple sense to dugald stewart s incontrovertible logical maxim that the capacities of the human mind have been the same in all ages, stewart s account of the method of conjectural history is, in any simple sense, inadequate as a description of humes practice. This paper examines stewarts views about the epistemic and moral value of conjectural history. The nature of conjectural history conjectural history was, it seems, first distinguished from the more conventional narrative form of history by dugald stewart. In 1783 he was a joint founder of the royal society of edinburgh.
Dugald stewart, on conjectural history essays on philosophical subjects further reading part 3. Conjectural history is the probabilistic description of the prehistory of human institutions. Selected philosophical writings emanuele levi mortera dugald stewart was appointed assistant professor of mathematics in the university of edinburgh in 1772, aged only 19. Dugald stewart author of elements of the philosophy of.
Hester chapone, letters on the improvement of the mind 10. Towards the end of the enlightenment, dugald stewart dubbed this kind of investigation into social development theoretical or conjectural history, because it tried to fill in gaps in historical knowledge about particular nations by means of conjectures based on empirical knowledge of other nations that were thought to be at the same. Full text of the works of dugald stewart see other formats. Books by peter gay the erilightenment portwood history. The method of conjectural history is used in a number of different ways.
Educated at the university of edinburgh, where his father was professor of mathematics, stewart began teaching there when he was 19. Download and read online for free the theory of moral sentiments. The purpose of this paper is to examine smiths four stages theory of history as an account of economic and social development, with an emphasis on the arguments and evidence he used to support it. If for dugald stewart francis hutcheson was a scottish philosopher, moore brings out hutchesons irish dimension, describing a. The works of william robertson history of scotland.
Hello select your address best sellers customer service new releases find a gift customer service new releases find a gift. Historical writing and moral psychology introduction 9. Dugald stewart along with conjectural history to refer to a historical approach that starts from how things are in the present and from there imagines how they might have come to be such. Simon evnine, hume, conjectural history, and the uniformity. Yet it is hard to see why, in his view, conjectural histories are not. Redman history of political economy, volume 32, number 3, fall 2000, pp. Pbut whatever history the enlightenment historians pursued, they focused their attention 011 the rise and decline of the philosophic party, on the fortunes of. Lectures and letters of dugald stewart 17531828 archives hub. Dugald stewart has 143 books on goodreads with 141 ratings. But mills use of conjectural history was more explicitly radical than any of his scottish forebears, including millar, whose opinions had. Conjectural history is the probabilistic description of the prehistory of human institutions such as language or property, in the.