Page 102 - BBC History The Story of Science & Technology - 2017 UK

People & Personalities / Scottish Enlightenment

Alexander Broadie pictured on Glasgow University’s famous Lion and Unicorn staircase Adam Smith, ‘the father of economics’

and a powerful system of state censorship. trade, contending that trade barriers do
One lumière was Denis Diderot, a writer not benefit the country that imposes them;
hostile to Christianity, whose book, Letter on the contrary, he showed that
on the Blind (1749), landed him in prison in protectionism causes a rise in prices and
the fortress of Vincennes for three months. a lowering of employment prospects.
By contrast, though David Hume was He also argued that schooling should be
widely (if wrongly) believed to be an made universally available and paid for by
atheist, he was never threatened with the government, even sketching out the
imprisonment. In fact, he was the life and syllabus that the schools should follow.
soul of the societies to which he belonged, The natural sciences are no less a feature
whose membership included ministers, of the Scottish Enlightenment than are
judges, professors, aristocrats and artists, philosophy and political economy.
such as the painters Allan Ramsay and During a period of 10 years at Glasgow,
Henry Raeburn, and architects William one of its professors (and a former student
Specimens from the Enlightenment
Adam and his sons John and Robert. of Glasgow), the aforementioned Joseph
period are on display at the university’s
No one illustrates the role of Glasgow Black conducted research into heat. In magnificent Hunterian Museum
in Scotland’s Enlightenment better than the course of this research, he probed
that giant of moral philosophy, Adam the science behind two major natural by Dr William Hunter (1718–83),
Smith – a c1867 statue of whom stands phenomena, which he termed latent a groundbreaking obstetrician and teacher.
near Bute Hall in the university’s main heat and specific heat. This work makes The museum, showcasing Hunter’s
building. Smith had a long relationship him one of the founders of the science of remarkable collections of specimens,
with Glasgow University: as an under- thermodynamics. manuscripts and other Enlightenment
graduate, then a professor – first of logic Among Black’s closest collaborators material, opened to the public in 1807
and rhetoric and later of moral philosophy was James Watt, scientific instrument- and is hailed as one of the finest university
– and, for two years at the end of his life, maker to Glasgow University. Watt collections in the world.
as lord rector. produced a brilliant solution to the
Smith is now widely hailed as the ‘father problem of how to construct an efficient Alexander Broadie is an honorary professorial
of economics’, and it was while lecturing steam engine – and, in doing so, helped research fellow at Glasgow University. His
at Glasgow University that he formulated transform the productivity of Britain’s books include The Scottish Enlightenment
the theories that would lead to his writing manufacturing industries. (Birlinn, 2007)
The Wealth of Nations (1776), a work Some of the scientific instruments used
long recognised as one of the greatest by men such as James Watt, Joseph Lister DISCOVER MORE
contributions to economic theory ever. and Lord Kelvin are held at the university’s LISTEN ONLINE
Smith famously argued the case for free magnificent Hunterian Museum, founded For more on the
Enlightenment listen to In Our Time.
bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00548ln
“IT WAS WHILE LECTURING AT GLASGOW THAT JEREMY SUTTON-HIBBERT
ON THE PODCAST
ADAM SMITH FORMULATED THE THEORIES
Hear more from Alexander Broadie at
THAT WOULD LEAD TO THE WEALTH OF NATIONS” historyextra.com/podcasts

102 The Story of Science & Technology