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dadia's review against another edition
4.0
This is a troubling book, particularly in the seemingly laudatory gloss over colonialism. For a few chapters, it felt like a celebration of 'The White Man's Burden'. The book is brilliantly written and certainly makes the case for the many and extensive effects the Scottish Enlightenment had around the world and I came away with great interest in many historical figures I will certainly go on to study on their own. However, it feels rushed in its conclusions and rarely takes a look at any negative impacts Scots may have had (most notably the Ku Klux Klan), leading to the book coming off as a bit of a whitewash. A slightly more balanced book would not have diminished one's idea of the overwhelming accomplishments of people of Scottish descent.
aimeewoodworks's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
5.0
This took me four months to read, as it is so dense- but I was absolutely riveted, just fascinated, the entire time.
fictionfan's review against another edition
5.0
‘A man’s a man for a’ that’
Although there are a few chapters in this book dedicated to explaining the ideas of the philosophers of the Scottish Enlightenment, the bulk of the book is an examination of how those ideas spread and changed not just Scotland or the UK but, in Herman’s view, the Western world. As with Herman’s more recent book, [b:The Cave and the Light|13534181|The Cave and the Light; Plato Versus Aristotle, and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization|Arthur Herman|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362183698s/13534181.jpg|19095871], this is a hugely readable and enjoyable history – Herman writes in a way that makes his books very accessible to non-academic readers.
Starting in the century or so before the Enlightenment period, Herman explains the various factors that led to the Union of 1707. He shows the stranglehold that the Kirk had on Scottish society, but that out of this grew the idea of man as a free individual – that monarchs were not absolute and that tyrannies could and should be challenged. He gives the Kirk the credit for the idea that education should be for all, making Scotland one of the most literate societies in the world, with an appetite for books other than the Bible. And he explains very clearly the impact of the Darien scheme on both the financial state of Scotland and on its self-confidence as a nation. In Herman’s view, the Union was a resoundingly positive development for Scotland, despite its unpopularity amongst ordinary people, since it opened up opportunities and access to the rest of the world via the rapidly developing British Empire, hence revolutionising Scotland both economically and culturally.
In the next couple of chapters, Herman deals in some depth with two of the earliest and most influential figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Hutcheson and Kames, showing how their ideas developed, where they contrasted and overlapped, and the influence that each had on those thinkers who followed them. He highlights Hutcheson as the altruist, the first liberal, who developed the idea of the ‘pursuit of happiness’ with man as a free individual choosing to work together for the common good. Kames is portrayed more as a hard-nosed realist (cynic?) believing that societies come together primarily to provide protection for their property from external threats. In these chapters, Herman also shows the beginnings of what we would now call the ‘social sciences’ – the scientific study of human society and social relationships.
The rest of the first section of the book is taken up with a wide-ranging history of eighteenth century Scotland. Herman discusses the reasons behind the Jacobite rebellions, showing that the divide was much more complex than the simplistic picture of Scotland v England, so beloved of nationalists and film-makers alike. He discusses the clan culture of the Highlands in some depth, stripping away much of the romanticism that has built up over it in the intervening years. He shows how Lowland Scotland, what we would now think of as the Central Belt, was much more in tune with its English partners, particularly as the two main cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh began to reap major economic benefits from access to the Empire. Throughout these chapters, he continues to show how Enlightenment thinking was developing via such huge figures as Hume and Smith, and influencing not just Scottish society, but attracting students from the UK and Europe to study at Scottish universities.
The second half of the book is largely devoted to showing how the Scottish Diaspora, forced and voluntary, meant that Scottish ideas were disseminated throughout the Empire, particularly to the white English-speaking Dominions. From educators to scientists and engineers, Herman’s position is that Scots were responsible for the birth of what we would now think of as ‘modernity’. Being an American, Herman lays particular emphasis on what he sees as the huge contribution Scots and Scottish ideas made to the founding and Constitution of the US, physically, politically and intellectually. He shows how, in his opinion, the inbuilt ‘gridlock’ of the American political system rose specifically out of Scottish Enlightenment ideas, to provide protection for individuals and communities from the power of an overweening government. He explains the huge influence that Scots had in creating and developing the early American system of education and universities such as Princeton. And, of course, he credits the great Scottish economists with the creation of the capitalist system he so clearly admires.
While I found this a most informative and enjoyable read (who doesn’t enjoy having their national ego stroked?), I did feel that at points, particularly in the latter half of the book, Herman was stretching his argument a bit. I would be the last person to belittle the huge contribution of the Scottish Enlightenment philosophers; or of the Scottish engineers, scientists, writers, religious leaders and statesmen who spread the Enlightenment ideas throughout the colonies and dominions of the Empire. But sometimes Herman gives the distinct impression that the Scots are really the only people who have ever done anything – the rest of the world seems to have rather passively sat back and let the Scots get on with it. (And frankly I’m not sure if I want to be held responsible for America!) If a man of another nationality is credited with something, Herman trawls his background to give him a Scottish connection – he studied at a Scottish University or his grandfather came from just over the English border so was nearly Scottish…or his grandmother once ate haggis. (OK, I might have exaggerated that last one a little.)
But with that small reservation aside, I would heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants a clearer understanding of the history of this period, both as it affected Scotland and the wider world. And, in this year of the Scottish Independence referendum, a useful reminder of the reasons behind the Union and the early economic benefits of it, providing food for thought for either camp as to whether those reasons and benefits are still relevant today.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Although there are a few chapters in this book dedicated to explaining the ideas of the philosophers of the Scottish Enlightenment, the bulk of the book is an examination of how those ideas spread and changed not just Scotland or the UK but, in Herman’s view, the Western world. As with Herman’s more recent book, [b:The Cave and the Light|13534181|The Cave and the Light; Plato Versus Aristotle, and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization|Arthur Herman|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362183698s/13534181.jpg|19095871], this is a hugely readable and enjoyable history – Herman writes in a way that makes his books very accessible to non-academic readers.
Starting in the century or so before the Enlightenment period, Herman explains the various factors that led to the Union of 1707. He shows the stranglehold that the Kirk had on Scottish society, but that out of this grew the idea of man as a free individual – that monarchs were not absolute and that tyrannies could and should be challenged. He gives the Kirk the credit for the idea that education should be for all, making Scotland one of the most literate societies in the world, with an appetite for books other than the Bible. And he explains very clearly the impact of the Darien scheme on both the financial state of Scotland and on its self-confidence as a nation. In Herman’s view, the Union was a resoundingly positive development for Scotland, despite its unpopularity amongst ordinary people, since it opened up opportunities and access to the rest of the world via the rapidly developing British Empire, hence revolutionising Scotland both economically and culturally.
In the next couple of chapters, Herman deals in some depth with two of the earliest and most influential figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Hutcheson and Kames, showing how their ideas developed, where they contrasted and overlapped, and the influence that each had on those thinkers who followed them. He highlights Hutcheson as the altruist, the first liberal, who developed the idea of the ‘pursuit of happiness’ with man as a free individual choosing to work together for the common good. Kames is portrayed more as a hard-nosed realist (cynic?) believing that societies come together primarily to provide protection for their property from external threats. In these chapters, Herman also shows the beginnings of what we would now call the ‘social sciences’ – the scientific study of human society and social relationships.
The rest of the first section of the book is taken up with a wide-ranging history of eighteenth century Scotland. Herman discusses the reasons behind the Jacobite rebellions, showing that the divide was much more complex than the simplistic picture of Scotland v England, so beloved of nationalists and film-makers alike. He discusses the clan culture of the Highlands in some depth, stripping away much of the romanticism that has built up over it in the intervening years. He shows how Lowland Scotland, what we would now think of as the Central Belt, was much more in tune with its English partners, particularly as the two main cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh began to reap major economic benefits from access to the Empire. Throughout these chapters, he continues to show how Enlightenment thinking was developing via such huge figures as Hume and Smith, and influencing not just Scottish society, but attracting students from the UK and Europe to study at Scottish universities.
The second half of the book is largely devoted to showing how the Scottish Diaspora, forced and voluntary, meant that Scottish ideas were disseminated throughout the Empire, particularly to the white English-speaking Dominions. From educators to scientists and engineers, Herman’s position is that Scots were responsible for the birth of what we would now think of as ‘modernity’. Being an American, Herman lays particular emphasis on what he sees as the huge contribution Scots and Scottish ideas made to the founding and Constitution of the US, physically, politically and intellectually. He shows how, in his opinion, the inbuilt ‘gridlock’ of the American political system rose specifically out of Scottish Enlightenment ideas, to provide protection for individuals and communities from the power of an overweening government. He explains the huge influence that Scots had in creating and developing the early American system of education and universities such as Princeton. And, of course, he credits the great Scottish economists with the creation of the capitalist system he so clearly admires.
While I found this a most informative and enjoyable read (who doesn’t enjoy having their national ego stroked?), I did feel that at points, particularly in the latter half of the book, Herman was stretching his argument a bit. I would be the last person to belittle the huge contribution of the Scottish Enlightenment philosophers; or of the Scottish engineers, scientists, writers, religious leaders and statesmen who spread the Enlightenment ideas throughout the colonies and dominions of the Empire. But sometimes Herman gives the distinct impression that the Scots are really the only people who have ever done anything – the rest of the world seems to have rather passively sat back and let the Scots get on with it. (And frankly I’m not sure if I want to be held responsible for America!) If a man of another nationality is credited with something, Herman trawls his background to give him a Scottish connection – he studied at a Scottish University or his grandfather came from just over the English border so was nearly Scottish…or his grandmother once ate haggis. (OK, I might have exaggerated that last one a little.)
But with that small reservation aside, I would heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants a clearer understanding of the history of this period, both as it affected Scotland and the wider world. And, in this year of the Scottish Independence referendum, a useful reminder of the reasons behind the Union and the early economic benefits of it, providing food for thought for either camp as to whether those reasons and benefits are still relevant today.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
avrilhj's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting history of Scotland as the first ‘modern’ nation, in which “a man’s a man for a’ that”. It is primarily about men, of course; we don’t get any hint of what women were doing as men gathered in the various social clubs to discuss the matters about which Adam Smith wrote in The Wealth of Nations and David Hume in A Treatise of Human Nature. And from the perspective of 2019 it’s bizarre to read about the Scottish diaspora in Australia, Canada, India and the USA with almost no mention of the indigenous people of those nations and how they responded to the Scots who took over their lands. Lachlan Macquarie is briefly mentioned for his fair treatment of Emancipists in NSW; his commands that any First Nations’ people who resisted the British be slaughtered is ignored. But in his conclusion Herman at least points out that Scotland can’t claim to have been exploited by the British Empire; Scots were over-represented in the ‘Empire makers’ who went out to exploit others.
It’s also interesting to read about the rise of Scottish nationalism pre-Brexit. There’s no doubt that Scotland has always had strong ties beyond Great Britain and a mixed relationship with Westminister. I can’t see a post-Brexit Scotland prioritising its ties with the UK over those with Europe. That would not be ‘enlightened’ or ‘modern’.
It’s also interesting to read about the rise of Scottish nationalism pre-Brexit. There’s no doubt that Scotland has always had strong ties beyond Great Britain and a mixed relationship with Westminister. I can’t see a post-Brexit Scotland prioritising its ties with the UK over those with Europe. That would not be ‘enlightened’ or ‘modern’.
bgg616's review against another edition
5.0
This book covers about 5 centuries of Scottish history. I was most interested in the description of education in Scotland. I was unaware that Scotland provided universal education for children long before Britain did. I would argue that this is what led to the flourishing of creativity and invention. I would critique the author is this respect as readers could be left with the idea the Scots are superior as a "race" or ethnic group, rather than considering the factors that enabled people of this nation to achieve their potential. At the same time, as critically important as the availability of education, including universities to virtually everyone, there seem to be some cultural values, such as perseverance and a strong work ethic, that came together to allow this flourishing of genius.
Herman works hard to dismantle the romantic vision many have of the clans and clan system, and appears to do so objectively. His description of the developing schools of thought during the Scottish Enlightenment, and figures like Adam Smith etc. provide an interesting look at how various and conflicting views of society and humanity evolved.
The history of religion in Scotland is central. John Knox, the Scottish Presbytarian church, the conflicts with Catholics supporters of the Jacobite cause, and the Anglican church are described in good detail. There are many many references to Ulster, and Ulster Scots, and the history of the development of these churches in Scotland are essential for understanding the religious landscape of modern Ulster.
According to Herman, the United States of America probably wouldn't exist without the Scots, and Ulster Scots ("Scotch Irish"). The Constitution, structure of the federal government, and more, he seems to claim, were primarily the creations of either Scottish immigrants or descendants. At times, he seems to go overboard with this idea. However, when I realized at the time, Europeans living in the 13 colonies were all either British, Scottish, German with a few Irish (mostly Ulster Scots so he would consider them Scots of a sort), it isn't surprising that Scots played a big role. The French were in Canada and Louisiana, the Spanish and Portuguese were further south, and after the Vikings, Scandinavians stayed put for a few centuries, as did the Italians (Romans of old) and Greeks.
The book lives up to the subtitle "created out world and everything in it" though towards the end I felt the author might be overreaching to prove his point. I didn't "buy" his analysis of James Bond and argument that the character possesses just those characteristics that are soooo Scottish, and these are what makes JB so spectacular. Luckily this was in the last few pages of the book or I might have thrown up my hands.
This is a 'must read' not only for those interested in Scotland and it's history, but readers interested in Ulster as well as early American history.
Herman works hard to dismantle the romantic vision many have of the clans and clan system, and appears to do so objectively. His description of the developing schools of thought during the Scottish Enlightenment, and figures like Adam Smith etc. provide an interesting look at how various and conflicting views of society and humanity evolved.
The history of religion in Scotland is central. John Knox, the Scottish Presbytarian church, the conflicts with Catholics supporters of the Jacobite cause, and the Anglican church are described in good detail. There are many many references to Ulster, and Ulster Scots, and the history of the development of these churches in Scotland are essential for understanding the religious landscape of modern Ulster.
According to Herman, the United States of America probably wouldn't exist without the Scots, and Ulster Scots ("Scotch Irish"). The Constitution, structure of the federal government, and more, he seems to claim, were primarily the creations of either Scottish immigrants or descendants. At times, he seems to go overboard with this idea. However, when I realized at the time, Europeans living in the 13 colonies were all either British, Scottish, German with a few Irish (mostly Ulster Scots so he would consider them Scots of a sort), it isn't surprising that Scots played a big role. The French were in Canada and Louisiana, the Spanish and Portuguese were further south, and after the Vikings, Scandinavians stayed put for a few centuries, as did the Italians (Romans of old) and Greeks.
The book lives up to the subtitle "created out world and everything in it" though towards the end I felt the author might be overreaching to prove his point. I didn't "buy" his analysis of James Bond and argument that the character possesses just those characteristics that are soooo Scottish, and these are what makes JB so spectacular. Luckily this was in the last few pages of the book or I might have thrown up my hands.
This is a 'must read' not only for those interested in Scotland and it's history, but readers interested in Ulster as well as early American history.
cmgriffin's review against another edition
3.0
I definitely learned a few things from this book - not least of which were about the author's own political and philosophical leanings. Which - fair enough, we all have bias, but there were definitely a few points where I couldn't help but cringe at the rather paternalistic tone he takes and how forgiving he is of the shortcomings of a lot of the people he's talking about. The Scots may not have invented everything about the modern world, but they certainly invented neoliberalism, for better or worse.
jenrud31's review against another edition
This assumed white, cis male perspective was simply too dry and limited for my taste. I held on to a few interesting points before losing interest. It was the only Scottish history book I could find before my trip. While in Edinburgh, I took note of much more nuanced, feminist histories published in Scotland that I will be looking into! This is the kind of book maybe my dad will enjoy - I’ll be sending it his way. :)