In Our Time: History

The Enlightenment in Scotland


Listen Later

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century. In 1696 the Edinburgh student, Thomas Aitkenhead, claimed theology was "a rhapsody of feigned and ill invented nonsense". He was hanged for his trouble - just one victim of a repressive religious society called the Scottish Kirk. Yet within 60 years Scotland was transformed by the ideas sweeping the continent in what we call the Enlightenment. This Scottish Enlightenment emerged on a broad front. From philosophy to farming it championed empiricism, questioned religion and debated reason. It was crowned by the philosophical brilliance of David Hume and by Adam Smith – the father of modern economics. But what led to this ‘Scottish Miracle’, was it an indigenous phenomenon or did it depend on influence from abroad? It profoundly influenced the American revolutionaries and the British Empire, but what legacy does it have for Scotland today?With Professor Tom Devine, Director of the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies at the University of Aberdeen; Karen O’Brien, Reader in English and American Literature at the University of Warwick; Alexander Broadie, Professor of Logic and Rhetoric at the University of Glasgow.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

In Our Time: HistoryBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

1,831 ratings


More shows like In Our Time: History

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,747 Listeners

The Archers by BBC Radio 4

The Archers

1,096 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,066 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,475 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,816 Listeners

History Extra podcast by Immediate Media

History Extra podcast

3,244 Listeners

In Our Time: Philosophy by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Philosophy

871 Listeners

In Our Time: Culture by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Culture

609 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

738 Listeners

The History Hour by BBC World Service

The History Hour

593 Listeners

In Our Time: Religion by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Religion

283 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,782 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,079 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

477 Listeners

Dan Snow's History Hit by History Hit

Dan Snow's History Hit

4,777 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,220 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

744 Listeners

The Ancients by History Hit

The Ancients

3,317 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,041 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

15,631 Listeners

Gone Medieval by History Hit

Gone Medieval

1,895 Listeners

Not Just the Tudors by History Hit

Not Just the Tudors

2,052 Listeners

Empire: World History by Goalhanger

Empire: World History

2,456 Listeners