Timeline: Natural Law in Scotland, 1700-1749

Date
Publication, Appointment, Lecture, or Other Event
1705 William Cockburn, A letter from Mr. Cockburn to the Right Honourable John of Roxburgh, one of the principal secretaries of state for the Kingdom of Scotland (Edinburgh)
1706 Samuel Pufendorf, Le devoirs de l’homme et du citoyen, tels qu’ils lui sont prescrits par la loi naturelle, tr. J. Barberac (Amsterdam)
1707 William Scott (ed.), Hugonis Grotii de jure belli ac pacis librorum III. Compendium, annotationibus & commentaries selectis illustratum. In usum studisae juventutis Academiae Edinensis (Edinburgh)
1707 First Regius Professor of the Law of Nature and Nations at Edinburgh, Charles Areskine (-1734); inaugural lecture on ‘God as the Fountain of Law’
1707 Samuel Pufendorf, Le droit de la nature des gens, ou system general des principes les plus importants de la monde, de la jurisprudence, et de las politique, tr. J. Barbeyrac, 2 vols (Amsterdam)
1707 Charles Areskine advertises class ‘on the Laws of Nature and Nations’ [Cairns, ‘First’*]
1711 Shaftesbury, Characteristicks of men, manners, opinions, times (London)
1712 Gershom Carmichael‘s Account of His Teaching Method’ (manuscript)
1718 Samuel Pufendorf, De jure naturae et gentium. Abridgments S. Puffendorfii de officio hominis et civis, juxta legum naturalem libri duo. Editio nova, aucta observationibus & supplementis, … adjectis a Gerschomo Carmichael… (Glasgow)
1721 David Verner, Dissertatio philosophica, de passionibus sive affectibus, quam…in auditorio publico Academiciae Novae Abredonensis, ad diem [] Aprilis, propugnabunt, David Verner praeses, et hi candidati laurea magistreriali condonandi (Aberdeen)
1722 Patrick Hardie, Amplissimo ac ornatissimo domino D. Gulielmo Forbes de Craigievar &c. Equiti Baronetto almae hujus Academiae rectori magnifico, dignissimo, non minus propriis virtutibus quam generosa prosapiâ illustri. Theses hasce philosophicas in deditissimi affectus & perpetuae observantiae tesseram, D.D.C.Q. Patricius Hardie praeses et hi candidati laurea magisteriali condecorandi. … Qui A.D.O.M. theses hasce cum annexis publicè propugnabant, in Collegio Novo Universitatis Carolinae Abredonensis, ad 11 diem Aprilis, 1722. h.l.q.s  (Aberdeen)
1724 Samuel Pufendorf, S. Puffendorfii De officio hominis et civis, juxta legem naturalem, libri duo. Supplementis & observationibus in academicæ juventutis usum auxit & illustravit Gerschomus Carmichael, Philosophiae in Academia Glasguensi Professor. Editio Secunda priore Auctior & Emendatior (Edinburgh)
1726 George Turnbull, Theses academicæ de pulcherrima mundi cum materialis tum rationalis constitutione quas; … sub præsidio Georgii Turnbull P.P, in auditorio publico Academiæ Novæ Abredonensis ad diem 14 Aprilis, … propugnabunt hi generosi adolescentes, ad gradum magisterialem laudabilite contendentes (Aberdeen)
1727 Gershom Carmichael, Professor of Moral Philosophy (-1729); uses Pufendorf, De officio homini et civis as his textbook
1727 Richard Cumberland, A treatise of the law of nature (London)
1728 Johann Gottieb Heineccius, Elementa philosophiae rationalis et moralis (Amsterdam)
1730 Francis Hutcheson ‘teaches Mr Carmichael‘s Compend on Puffendorf’ [More, ‘Presbyterianism’ 168*]
1732 Advocate John Lookup offers weekly ‘Prelections upon the Law of Nature and Nations’ [Cairns, ‘First’*]
1734 William Kirkpatrick becomes Regius Professor of the Law of Nature and Nations at Edinburgh (-1735); does not teach and gives up position in the next year to become an MP
1735 George Abercromby, becomes Regius Professor of the Law of Nature and Nations at Edinburgh (-1759); teaches using Grotius
1738 Grotius, The rights of war and peace, in three books…to which are added all the large notes of Mr. J. Barbeyrac (London)
1739 Hugh Blair, Dissertatio philosophica inauguralis, de fundamentis & obligatione legis naturæ: Quam, favente numine, ut in artibus liberalibus & disciplinis philosophicis magister rite renuncietur, ex auctoritate reverendi admodum viri, D. Gulielmi Wishart, S.T.D. academiæ Edinburgenæ præfecti: nec non amplissimi senatus academici. & nobilissima faculratis arrium, decreto, eruditorum examini, in auditorio publico academiæ, ad 23. diem Februarii, horâ 10. Antemeridianâ, subjiciet Hugo Blair, A. & R. (Edinburgh)
1740 George Turnbull, Theses Philosophicae de Scientiae Naturalis cum Philosophia Morali Conjunctione (Aberdeen)
1740 George Turnbull, The Principles of Moral Philosophy (London); contains material from graduation theses of 1726 and 1726 (Stewart 101*)
1741 J. G. Heineccius, A methodical system of universal law: or, The laws of nature and nations, deduced from certain principles, and applied to proper cases / written in Latin by the celebrated Jo. Got. Heineccius, counsellor of State to the King of Prussia, and professor of philosophy at Hall.; translated, and illustrated with notes and supplements, by George Turnbull LL. D. To which is added, a discourse upon the nature and origin of moral and civil laws ; in which they are deduced, by an analysis of the human mind in the experimental Way, from our internal principles and dispositions (London; new edn 1763)
1741 John Erskine, ‘The law of nature sufficiently promulgated to the heathens’ in Theological dissertations (London 1765)
1742 George Turnbull, Observations upon liberal education in all its branches  (London)
1742 Francis Hutcheson, Philosophiae moralis institutio compendiaria, ethices & jurisprudentiae naturalis elementa continens (Glasgow) (2nd edn, 1753)
1742 Walter Anderson, Dissertatio philosophica inauguralis, de naturali hominum ad societatem propensione. Quam, favente numine, ut in artibus liberalibus & disciplinis philosophicis magister rite renuncietur, ex auctoritate reverendi admodum viri, D. Gulielmi Wishart, S.T.D. academiæ Edinburgenæ præfecti: nec non amplissimi senatus academici, & nobilissima faculratis arrium, decreto, eruditorum examini, in auditorio publico academiæ, ad 18 diem Martii, hora 10. Antemeridianâ, subjiciet Gualterus Anderson, A. & R. (Edinburgh)
1746 Thomas Craigie, professor of moral philosophy at Glasgow (-1751); uses Hutcheson’s Philosophiae moralis institution compendaria, ethicis & jursiprudentiae naturalis elementa continuen as his textbook
1747 Francis Hutcheson, A short introduction to moral philosophy, in three books; containing the elements of ethicks and the law of nature. By Francis Hutcheson, Lld. Late Professor of Philosophy in the University of Glasgow. Translated from the Latin (Glasgow) [Book II = Elements of the law of nature; Advice on studying addressed ‘To the Students in Universities’]
1748 Lord President of the Court of Session urges trainee advocates ‘to learn thoroughly the principles of the Roman Law and the Laws of Nature and Nations’ [Cairns, ‘First’*]
1748 J. J. Burlamaqui, The principles of natural law : in which the true systems of morality and civil government are established, and the different sentiments of Grotius, Hobbes, Puffendorf, Barbeyrac, Locke, Clark, and Hutchinson, occasionally considered (London)
1749 Samuel Pufendorf, Of the law of nature and nations…to which are now added, all the large notes of Mr. Barbeyrac, translated from his last and fourth edition (5th edn, London)

*For references, see the Site Bibliography.