Francis Hutcheson 1694 – 1746
Francis Hutcheson was an Irish-born philosopher and the leading figure of the early Scottish Enlightenment. As professor of moral philosophy at Glasgow, he taught the young Adam Smith and shaped the moral-sense tradition that runs through Hume, Smith, and Reid. His Inquiry into the Original of Our Ideas of Beauty and Virtue developed Shaftesbury's moral sense into a more systematic theory, while his System of Moral Philosophy anticipated the utilitarian formula of the greatest happiness for the greatest numbers. His political philosophy defended a right of resistance against tyrannical government.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Irish-Scottish
- Era
- Modern
- Movements
- Scottish Enlightenment, Enlightenment
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Francis Hutcheson:
“That action is best which procures the greatest happiness for the greatest numbers.”
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Attributed to Francis Hutcheson:
“Wisdom is the pursuit of the best ends by the best means.”
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Attributed to Francis Hutcheson:
“Beauty is uniformity amidst variety.”
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Attributed to Francis Hutcheson:
“Benevolence is natural to us, as much as is self-love.”
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Attributed to Francis Hutcheson:
“The moral sense is the gift of nature, not the construction of reflection.”