Tag Archives: Edinburgh

William Law (d. 1729)

About Law

  • Regent at University of Edinburgh from 1690
  • Chair of Moral Philosophy at University of Edinburgh from 1708

Teaching

  • Taught natural law as a regent and continued to do so as a professor (Haakonssen, ‘Natural’ 262*)

 Publications, Manuscripts and other Resources

      • Dictates on ethics (1696), physics (1701), Annotationes in ontologgiam Gerrardi de Vries and Annotationes in pneumatologiam Gerrardi de Vries (1703-1704), and Annotationes in physicam generalem D. Joannis Clerici (1705) (University of Edinburgh, Centre for Research Collections, MSS Dc.7.79; Dc.8.43; Dc.8.53, ff. 43-119; Gen.71D)
      • Adv. MS 22.7.4, ‘Lectures of Prof. William Law taken by William Haldane’ (1699-1700)’ [Including from f. 49 ‘Elementa Philsophia Moralis’] (Advocates Library, Edinburgh)
      • MS Dc.8.53, ff. 42-119, ‘Dictates on Ethics (of William Law), taken down by John Smith, 1696’ (University of Edinburgh, Centre for Research Collections)
      • MS La.III.152, ‘Dictates on Ethics (of William Law), taken down by Robert Clark, 1696’ (University of Edinburgh, Centre for Research Collections)

*For references, see the Site Bibliography.

William Cleghorn (1718-1754)

About Cleghorn

  •  Professor of moral philosophy at Edinburgh, 1745-1754

Publications, Manuscripts, and other Resources

  • Student notes from his lectures, University of Edinburgh, Centre for Research Collection MSS Da.2.1p61 and Dc.3.3.6 (4 vols, taken down 1746-1747)
  • W Cleghorn, The spirit and principles of the Whigs and Jacobites compared. Being the substance of a discourse delivered to an audience of gentlemen at Edinburgh, December 22, 1745 (London: printed for R. Dodsley in Pall-Mall, and sold by M. Cooper in Paternoster-Row, 1746)

*For references, see the Site Bibliography.

Robert Bruce (1718-1785)

About Bruce

  • Regius Professor of the Law of Nature and Nations, 1759-1764
  • Lord Kennet (1764)
  • Son-in-law of George Abercromby of Tullibody

Teaching

  • Advertised his ‘Course of Lectures upon GROTIUS DE JURE BELLI AC PACIS’ in Oct 1759 (Cairns, ‘First’ 23*)
  • 40 students in session 1763-64 (Cairns, ‘Famous’137*)
  • ‘lectured regularly to large classes’ (Emerson, Academic patronage 262*)

*For references, please see the Site Bibliography.

William Scott

About Scott

  • Professor of moral philosophy at Edinburgh, 1729-1734

Publications, Manuscripts, and other Resources

  • H Grotius, Hugonis Grotii De jure belli ac pacis librorum III. Compendium, annotationibus & commentariis selectis illustratum. In usum studiosae juventutis academiae Edinensis [ed William Scott] (Edinburgi: excudebant haeredes & successores Andreae Anderson, anno Dom., 1707)

*For references, see the Site Bibliography.

Robert Hamilton (1763-1831)

About Hamilton

  • Student of John Millar (Cairns, ‘First’ 39*)
  • Regius Chair of the Law of Nature and Nations at Edinburgh, 1796-1831
  • Advertised his classes but never with a starting date (Cairns, ‘First’ 40*)
  • Never lectured (Grant, Story 316-17*)
  • Professorship not filled after his death (next appointment was James Lorimer in 1862)

*For references, see the Site Bibliography.

James Lorimer (1818-1890)

About Lorimer

  • Filled the Regius Chair of the Law of Nature and Nations in 1862 after gap from 1831 (Grant, Story 317*)

Teaching

  • His class ‘being necessary for the LL.B degree, has been well attended ever since’ (Grant, Story 317*)
  • ‘The first part of Lorimer’s course resulted in his Institutes of Natural Law in 1872. This reached a second edition in 1880 and was reprinted in Germany in 1987.’ (ODNB*)

Publications, Manuscripts and other Resources

  • J Lorimer, The institutes of law: a treatise of the principles of jurisprudence as determined by nature (Edinburgh, 1872)
  • J Lorimer, The Institutes of Law; a treatise of the principles of jurisprudence as determined by nature, 2nd edn (Edinburgh, 1880)

*For references, see the Site Bibliography.