Scottish Enlightenment's Political Thoughts

The Scottish Enlightenment, an ideological and cultural liberation movement that followed the Britain Enlightenment and coincided with French Enlightenment, along with France and Germany Enlightenment are dubbed three most important branches of the Enlightenment. The Scottish Enlightenment as a intellectual flourish that occurred after social transformation and religious reform, differs from the Enlightenment's historic task of anti-feudal and anti-clericalism, which political theory discussion topic—in just established constitutional monarchy—is to establish the politics of goodness which can effectually realize public interest as well as political legitimacy. Specifically, the research approach of the Scottish Enlightenment political thought is, to ascertain moral evaluation standard by analyzing human sentiments, to analyze the everlasting principle of humanity by "experimental reasoning method", and expound the theory of political legitimacy based on the analysis, which aims to effectively achieve the public interests.In the Scottish Enlightenment sprang up a great many cadres thinkers and scientists which represented the highest level in the humanities or the natural sciences in 18 century, for politics, which the representative figures are Francis Hutchison, David Hume, Adam Ferguson and Adam Smith. This dissertation choose Hutchison, Hume, and Smith as research object, and excludes Ferguson, one of the key causes is that Ferguson emphasized the virtue ethics and ancient republicanism of Ancient Rome, furthermore hold pessimistic sadness for the business culture. So His theory is obviously different from the mainstream political ideas of the Scottish Enlightenment.This dissertation researches with" political legitimacy", emphatically introduces the development of Virtue characteristics of political thoughts and the thoughts about the political legitimacy in the Scottish Enlightenment, tries to deepen the knowledge about the justice of the Scottish Enlightenment and to advance the research on the political thought of the Scottish Enlightenment.Hutcheson's the theory of moral sense marked the beginning of the Scottish Enlightenment. Repudiating Mandeville's" private vices, public benefits", Hutcheson established The Theory of Moral Sentiments which chose "benevolent sense" as criterion for making moral judgments, and on that basis revived Classical Aristotelian the political theory of virtues. But in contrast to Aristotelian Community political theory is based on the rationalistic methodology, Hutcheson's individualistic political theory is based on empirical methodology. About political purpose, Hutcheson replaced the Highest Good of Ancient Greece by with "public interest "——" the greatest happiness for the greatest number", and formed the first theory of political legitimacy——the moral teleology be armed of " the greatest happiness for the greatest number"。On the other hand, Hutcheson also inherited the theory of social contract, adhered the theory of justice as standard by "right", and formed the first theory of political legitimacy——the theory of political rules based on justice。So Hutcheson oscillated between justice and benevolent, causing contradiction between moral teleology and the theory of political rules.Hume continued to develop Hutcheson's thoughts, what is different, his moral theory not by "benevolent" sense but by "selfish" sense "selfish" as a starting point. When he used to selfish as foothold dealt with the problem of " the relationship of Private interests and public interests ", based on selfish, his technique different from Hutcheson's method which cultivated moral qualities and restrained selfish by moral. Meanwhile, based on interests and sympathy principle, Hume established the political rule theory centering on "justice rules", partly as a result, weakened Hutcheson's the Classical utilitarianism in his political theory. Special should point out is, his justice theory surpass Legitimate thought produced by descriptive research, deep into the political philosophy. The core ideas in Hume's political thought is mainly embodied in two points, first, this is exactly the political purpose; second, justice as the legitimacy of political behavior, the function of the government is implemented and enforced justice rules. Thus, Hume political theory is not the focus of legal form, but focus on the performance of the justice rules based on property right and the Limited government theory. Unfortunately, however, Hume did not more discuss the construction of the limited government, and left it up to Smith.From Hutchison to Hume, the Scottish Enlightenment political theory all along explored the problem of political legitimacy, between moral teleology and justice rules, they chose the latter.Developing Hume's the principle of sympathy, Smith established the theory of moral sentiments which ethical criterion is the sympathy of "Impartial Spectator". Justice——as a social passion, won the universalism proof in Smith's the theory of moral sentiments. So, even if justice is seen as negative virtues, Smith still regarded it as political building pillar. In this way, Smith's the political thought along the Scottish Enlightenment path, and began to discuss political system based on justice virtue, that is, established "the system of natural liberty" adapted to commercial society. The biggest characteristic of Smith established "natural liberty system" is to create a "complete" free environment by defining government functions, therefore Smith reiterated to property rights as the core of justice, thought the government rules taking in a commercial society, and by this. Therefore, Smith reiterated to property rights as the core of justice, thinking the government rules taking in a commercial society, and put the "limited" but "strong" government function theory. After finishing the commercial society's political system constructed, Smith had to face "private interests and public interests", for this, he presented "the invisible hand" and "natural order". Consequently, there is a set of behavioral strategy that can guide commercial activity to achieve the public interest in Smith's" natural free system ", Smith's argumentation about " natural free system "can achieve the public interest, affirmed the legitimacy of justice once again.The development and evolvement of the Scottish Enlightenment political thought, in political legitimacy, although Scottish Enlightenment thinkers have their own special attention and thought forms, their concern and concept also complicated, but there is a mixed legible. If Hutchison and Hume's job is looking for political legitimacy foundation, then, Smith's job is to construct with political system based on "justice" virtue and the political system how to achieve the ultimate goal:The public interest. So far, the Scottish Enlightenment accomplished from moral back to the system construction based on the justice virtue. The establishment of "the system of natural liberty" also marked the advent of laissez-faire capitalism.The justice concept established by the Scottish Enlightenment have two components:justice rules and justice virtue, among them, justice virtue lie next justice rules in logical order, justice virtue depended on justice rules could obtained the public interest. That is to say, justice rules only mould "free" environment, the determinacy of justice is decided by it can obtained the public interest. By inference, although Scottish Enlightenment political theory insist that justice serve as political legitimacy foundation, but it stressed the connotation of the justice rules and the "free" environment molded by justice rules, which decides the Scottish Enlightenment political justice virtue theory is in essence a kind of justice, and not the theory of justice rules.Analyzing the course, from the political legitimacy, we can discover that Scottish Enlightenment political theory provided two different answers for political legitimacy. Hutcheson took "the greatest happiness of most people "as the foundation of political legitimacy, can say "the moral teleology" which explained political legitimacy from "public interest". Hume and Smith used factitious justice rule to answer the problem of political legitimacy, can be called justice rules theory which based on justice virtue. In comparison, "the moral teleology" dominated the Scottish Enlightenment political theory. Although Hume and Smith's justice thoughts have the tendency of justice rule, they also didn't give up with "public interest" for the purpose of teleology proof method. However, we cannot judge that Scottish Enlightenment of political legitimacy insisted " kindness has priority over justification ",they advocated justice principles is a substantial justice.In fact, when Scottish Enlightenment thinkers concrete discussing how to realize "public interest", including Hutcheson inside, they all abandoned the realization of public interest from purely essence. In this sense, the Scottish Enlightenment political thought finally established the theory of justice virtue which included the justice rule and moral value, and regarded it as the foundation of political legitimacy.About the problem of political legitimacy, Hutchison, Hume and Smith, as represented by the Scottish Enlightenment always included Two different answer standards, one is the moral teleology that aim to public interest——or "the greatest happiness for the greatest number " in Hutchison's theory; Another is the principle of justice rules based on justice。In both these theories, the moral teleology throughout the Scottish Enlightenment political theory, although Hume and Smith's justice thought have obvious deontology thought, they all didn't give up make reflections on the moral teleology, However, the theory of justice rule had dominated in Hume and Smith's political theory. So, the political theory of the Scottish Enlightenment established justice as political legitimacy.Contemporary Political Theory criticized "justification has priority over kindness" that presented by the new liberalism, points out its may lead to moral crisis. This criticism is the same with the Scottish Enlightenment thought. The justice virtue of the Scottish Enlightenment internal contained the dangerous tendency of the missing virtues, and its human nature hypothesis couldn't success to provide universal virtue foundation for "justice rules". Such a term, Scottish Enlightenment political theories have failed to solve the problem of political legitimacy, its position and demonstration about the political legitimacy will be difficult to directly into practice, and used to dissolve the crisis that the contemporary political theory suffered.However, modern political philosophy can benefit gained from the Scottish Enlightenment. The proof of justice rule contained that is the individual sentiment "consensus", namely, moral "consensus". These thoughts can be absorbed by the contemporary political philosophy, also provide reference for exploring new political legitimacy.