When did the Scottish Enlightenment take place?

The Scottish Enlightenment took place during the second half of the 18th century, though its influence extended over several decades on either side of that period.1

While some scholars suggest a start date of 1740, this timeline is often debated because it overlooks earlier foundational works, such as Francis Hutcheson’s An Inquiry into the Original of Our Ideas of Beauty and Virtue (1725) and the first volumes of David Hume’s A Treatise of Human Nature (1739). Similarly, while some link the end of the movement to the start of the French Revolution in 1789, key figures remained active well beyond that date; for instance, Adam Smith lived until 1790, James Hutton published his major work in 1795, and Dugald Stewart continued teaching at the University of Edinburgh until 1820.23