McDaniel Sociability and Patriotism in Scotland revised 05-06-14.pdf (314.08 kB)
Unsocial sociability in the Scottish enlightenment: Ferguson and Kames on war, sociability and the foundations of patriotism
This article reconstructs a significant historical alternative to the theories of ‘cosmopolitan’ or ‘liberal’ patriotism often associated with the Scottish Enlightenment. Instead of focusing on the work of Andrew Fletcher, Francis Hutcheson, David Hume or Adam Smith, this study concentrates on the theories of sociability, patriotism and international rivalry elaborated by Adam Ferguson (1723–1816) and Henry Home, Lord Kames (1696–1782). Centrally, the article reconstructs both thinkers' shared perspective on what I have called ‘unsociable’ or ‘agonistic’ patriotism, an eighteenth-century idiom which saw international rivalship, antagonism, and even war as crucial in generating political cohesion and sustaining moral virtue. Placing their thinking in the context of wider eighteenth-century debates about sociability and state formation, the article's broader purpose is to highlight the centrality of controversies about human sociability to eighteenth-century debates about the nature of international relations.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
History of European IdeasISSN
0191-6599Publisher
ElsevierExternal DOI
Issue
5Volume
41Page range
662-682Department affiliated with
- History Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2015-11-13First Open Access (FOA) Date
2017-02-01First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2015-11-13Usage metrics
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