Uma discussão sobre a influência do pensamento iluminista escocês sobre a obra de Adam Smith

Abstract

This work aims at giving a broad overview of the atmosphere of the Scottish Enlightenment and, at the same time, to emphasise the historical factors that influenced its intellectual climate. An outline of the history of Scotland is presented at the beginning, together with an analysis of the social, political and cultural elements that influenced this revolutionary period. The intellectual environment from which great thinkers such as Adam Smith, David Hume, Francis Hutcheson and James Steuart originated can be best appreciated by understanding the historical background. Then, after analysing the ideas, achievements and philosophical arguments of each of these remarkable individuals, their moral and economic theories will be examined. Smith's intellectual growth was significantly influenced by these philosophers, which resulted in his landmark work, The Wealth of Nations, which revolutionised economic philosophy, as well as how each of these factors affected Adam Smith's development of his own moral and economic views. Then, after analysing the ideas, achievements and philosophical arguments of each of these remarkable individuals, their moral and economic theories will be examined. Critical historical and philosophical issues will be addressed in this way, creating a complete tapestry that reveals the enormous legacy of the Scottish Enlightenment and its lasting impact on contemporary society. In this way one can better understand the intellectual underpinnings of Adam Smith’s beliefs and the lasting influence of his contemporaries as they explore this revolutionary era. A better understanding of the wider impact that these intellectuals had on the world as a whole can be gained by examining how their ideas interacted. Their contributions are crucial to the intellectual history of humanity, as their ideas still shape and affect economic and moral thinking today.