Activity of the Philosophical Society in Aberdeen in the Light of the Scottish Enlightenment

Abstract

When analyzing the phenomenon of the Scottish Enlightenment, the activities of specialized societies and clubs cannot be omitted. They served as a common ground for the exchange of ideas, hot scientific disputes, and dissemination of knowledge. This study is devoted to the activity of the elitist and typically scientific Philosophical Society in Aberdeen, with particular attention to the membership of Thomas Reid, John Gregory, and Alexander Gerard. The Society’s original documents: its recorded rules, minutes of the meetings, descriptions of discourse topics, questions, or financial reports may serve as extremely valuable source of information regarding the shaping of the philosophical thought not only in Aberdeen itself, but also in the whole Scotland in the period of Enlightenment.