One of the world's leading historians has described the Scottish Enlightenment as a "fantastic explosion of intellectual adventure" which is still having an impact on the world today.
Professor Niall Ferguson says many cornerstones of modern democratic societies can be traced back to late 18th century Scotland when Adam Smith and his contemporaries were among the leading thinkers in the world.
In the latest episode of the Panmure Podcasts, Ferguson describes Scotland’s ‘miraculous’ transformation in the mid-18th century. He says: “In the 1740s, Scotland still had the reputation Afghanistan has today, as a wild country largely run by warlike clans [in the Highlands], with theological zealots in the Lowlands.
Professor Niall Ferguson says many cornerstones of modern democratic societies can be traced back to late 18th century Scotland when Adam Smith and his contemporaries were among the leading thinkers in the world.
In the latest episode of the Panmure Podcasts, Ferguson describes Scotland’s ‘miraculous’ transformation in the mid-18th century. He says: “In the 1740s, Scotland still had the reputation Afghanistan has today, as a wild country largely run by warlike clans [in the Highlands], with theological zealots in the Lowlands.
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