Adam Smith, David Hume in Context: Moral Philosophy and Enlightened Monarchy

Description

‘Lecturing on moral philosophy in the eighteenth-century Scotland: Adam Smith in context’, Sinji Nohara (University of Glasgow/University of Tokyo) and Craig Smith (University of Glasgow)
Adam Smith gave lectures on moral philosophy at the University of Glasgow. He created his system of political economy based on the lectures. Although scholars have researched the ways in which the Scottish moral philosophers such as Francis Hutcheson inspired Smith's moral philosophy, it still remains unclear in what point the eighteen-century moral philosophical lectures were similar with and different from Smith's system. Whilst the moral philosophers published their wrings, they also gave lectures, some of which were transcribed as student notes. We need distinguishing published writings from lectures because the lectures were given for pedagogical purposes, whereas the publications were written for literate, or educated adults. Whilst the writings did not necessarily tell us the knowledge they supposed readers knew beforehand, the lectures, in many cases, taught us that knowledge. Accordingly, through comparing the moral philosophy lecture notes, we can understand the intellectual background of Smith's moral philosophy and political economy more clearly.


‘Hume, Bolingbroke and the Problem of Enlightened Monarchy’, Elena Yi-Jia Zeng (Princeton)
David Hume was sceptical about his contemporaries’ view that the stability of government was predicated on the ruler’s character. Henry St John Bolingbroke, a prominent Tory politician at the time, advocated for the idea of a ‘patriot king’. Citing Machiavelli’s The Prince, Bolingbroke
maintained that political stability largely hinged on the monarch’s virtue. Hume argued instead that institutions and legislation were the most reliable ground of certainty to ensure political stability. A system of checks and balances would help to facilitate moderation in politics and the government’s regular administration. My paper will demonstrate how he utilized his scepticism to challenge Bolingbroke’s argument, and how this fits into his wider concern over Britain’s constitutional balance. In essence, my interpretation shows that Hume’s scepticism is not simply a philosophical exercise – instead, its practical merit resides in its stabilising effect on society and politics.

This seminar aims to create a welcoming space for discussion and debate, fostering a professional environment where diverse views and perspectives can be shared. You can find more on this via our seminar page on the IHR website.

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All welcome. This event is free to attend, but advance registration is required.

This will be a ‘hybrid’ seminar with a limited number of places available in person and a larger number of bookings for online attendance via Zoom. Those attending in person are asked to bring a Wi-Fi enabled laptop, tablet or phone.

The session will start at the slightly later time of 17:30.