Scotland: The Small Nation That Made the Modern World
The Scottish Enlightenment in many ways was the start of the modern world with new ideas, methods and inventions propelling the world forward. From education to economics, literature to the great Enlightenment, the influence of Scottish ideas and innovations is all around us. So, let’s delve into how this remarkable nation, with just a fraction of England’s population, shaped global development in some unexpected (and thoroughly brilliant) ways.
Scotland’s journey toward educational brilliance began in the late 15th century, when an early version of an Education Act was passed in 1496. It mandated that the sons of Scottish barons and landowners attend grammar schools a bold move, and one that set a tone for educational access that was far ahead of its time. Over the 17th century, Scottish leaders took education seriously, with Parliament passing numerous acts between 1615 and 1695 to establish and fund parish based schools across the country.
By the early 18th century, Scotland had one of the most extensive educational networks in Europe. To give you an idea of the scale: when Scotland united with England in 1707, its population was about one fifth that of its southern neighbour, yet it boasted four established universities Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and St Andrews to England’s two, Oxford and Cambridge. These universities were no slouches either; they were on the cutting edge, with observatories, medical schools, and mathematics departments springing up long before these became mainstream elsewhere. The fact that Scotland had so many highly educated citizens made it ripe for intellectual and scientific advancements that would transform Western society.
The Act of Union in 1707 brought about an unexpected boom for Scotland’s economy. Scotland and England were now partners, and it wasn’t long before the Scots were making the most of new trade opportunities. Glasgow, in particular, blossomed into a key hub in the Atlantic tobacco trade, connecting American plantations with European markets. Scottish merchants made fortunes, and with newfound wealth came investment in infrastructure, education, and even banking. In 1695 and 1727, the Bank of Scotland and the Royal Bank of Scotland were established, respectively, both of which helped support growing trade networks and the Scottish economy.
With economic growth came interest in agricultural and industrial improvements, spurred on by groups like the Society of Improvers, established in 1723. This group was determined to bring modern techniques to Scottish farming, and their work was part of a larger Scottish Agricultural Revolution that transformed rural areas and helped solidify the country’s role in global trade.
Literature and printing were at the heart of the Scottish Enlightenment a movement that brought us ideas on everything from government and economics to science and the human mind. By the mid-18th century, Edinburgh had blossomed into a centre for intellectual debate, printing, and publishing. The city was packed with reading societies, libraries, and clubs where the best and brightest would meet to argue over politics, philosophy, and art.
It was this culture of debate that gave birth to influential works like the Encyclopaedia Britannica, first published in Edinburgh in 1768. Scotland’s print industry was so prolific that by 1763, Edinburgh alone had six printing houses and three paper mills. Just twenty years later, those numbers had nearly tripled. Scottish writers and thinkers like David Hume and Adam Smith became household names, influencing everything from modern economic thought (Smith’s Wealth of Nations was the foundation for modern capitalism) to psychology and ethics.
One of the great ironies is that, though the Scottish Enlightenment was based in such a small corner of the globe, its ideas spread like wildfire, influencing thinkers and policy-makers across Europe and America. Scotland was, at this time, the intellectual engine of the Western world.
So, what happened to this cultural and intellectual renaissance? Why didn’t Scotland continue to dominate the realms of philosophy, science, and literature? It’s a story as complex as the Scottish Enlightenment itself. Part of it had to do with the shifting interests of the British Empire. By the 19th century, the British East India Company had turned its attention to the massive markets and resources of India, leading to an increased focus on subjects like mathematics and sciences that aligned more directly with administrative needs for the Empire.
As a result, the traditional liberal arts-focused Scottish education system came under pressure to change. The 1858 Universities Act reorganised Scottish universities to more closely resemble the English model, emphasising philology and mathematics over philosophy and liberal studies. This shift was the beginning of the end for the old Scottish approach to education that had produced so many world-class thinkers, philosophers, and artists. The focus on practical skills and technical knowledge, necessary though it was for the modernising empire, marked a farewell to Scotland’s unique intellectual tradition.
Despite this shift, Scotland’s impact on the modern world remains immense. Its thinkers, scientists, and industrialists changed the course of history in countless ways. Today, you can find reminders of Scottish ingenuity almost everywhere you look, from the economic principles of Adam Smith to the medical advancements fostered by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, established in 1681.
Scotland’s contributions may have started in parish schools, university lecture halls, and cosy Edinburgh pubs, but they reached around the world. The legacy of Scottish education, trade, literature, and the Enlightenment continues to shape our modern society in ways we often don’t even recognise.
