| Synopsis: |
Scottish philosophers were at the forefront of introducing Hegel into Britain in the work of Ferrier, Carlyle, Hutchison, Stirling and Caird, but they were also distinctive in locating themselves in relation to the Scottish philosophical tradition they sought to extend. The Scottish Idealists, among them Caird, Ritchie, Seth, Pringle Pattison, Mitchell, Watson and Jones, dominated the philosophical professoriate in Britain, Australia and Canada from the late 19th century to WW1. This collection of readings, the first of its kind, has been chosen with a view to displaying the variety, richness and strength of the tradition. It begins with an essay from the famous "Essays in Philosophical Criticism" (1883), a book that set-out the future direction of enquiry for this group. Idealism was immensely spiritual in character and recognized no hard and fast distinctions between philosophy, religion, poetry and science. It was a formidable force in social reform. |