The Scottish Philosophy [36]
he had been spared to witness it, would have viewed with apprehension and disapproval.
He was chosen to succeed Carmichael, Dec. 19, 1729, by a majority of the Faculty, over Mr. Warner, favored at first by the principal, and over Mr. Frederick Carmichael, son of Gershom, supported by five of the professors. His appointment could be justified on the ground of merit; but he owed it mainly {59} to family connections, who gained Lord Isla, the great government patron of the day, before whom the principal had to give way.[14] In October, 1730, twenty English students have come to the college, expecting Mr. Hutcheson -- whose " Inquiry " and work on the " Passions " were already well known -- to " teach morality Professor Loudon, however, insisted that he had a right to take the chair of Moral Philosophy, whereupon the English students gave in a paper declaring that, if Mr. Hutcheson, who had not yet come over from Ireland, did not teach them morality, they would set off to Edinburgh, and Mr. Loudon had to yield. On November 30, he was publicly admitted, and delivered, in a low tone and hurried manner, as if awed and bashful, an inaugural discourse, "De Naturali Hominum Socialitate," in which he expounds, in a clear and pleasant manner, and in good Latin, his favorite doctrine as to man having in his nature disinterested affections. He maintains, in opposition to the "very celebrated" Locke, that man has something natural, but admits that it requires time and circumstances to bring it forth; and in opposition to Hobbes and Puffendorff, that man can be swayed by other motives than self-love. He represents the conscience as the [Greek term] to which all our nature ought to be subjected, and to which it had been subjected in our entire state; but admits that our nature is fallen, weakened, and corrupted, in many ways. Hutcheson lectured five days a week on his proper course, which embraced Natural Religion, Morals, jurisprudence, and Government; and at another hour he read three days of the week, with his students, some of the finest writers of antiquity, Greek and Latin, on the subject of morals; interpreting both the language and sentiment. This practice of combining reading with lectures was followed by his successors in the moral chair in Glasgow, and is vastly superior to the plan of the Edinburgh professors of a later date, who instructed their pupils only by reading lectures. His prelections were at first, after the manner of the times, in Latin; but he had the courage to break off from the ancient custom, and to speak in the English tongue, no doubt to the great joy and benefit of the students, who might lose somewhat in not being familiarized with the ancient learned language; but would gain vastly more in being brought into close sympathy with the {60} speaker, in listening from day to day to elegant English, and in the mastery which they would thereby acquire over their own tongue. Dr. Carlyle has left us a picture of the lecturer: "I attended Hutcheson's class this year (I 743-44) with great satisfaction and improvement. He was a good- looking man, of engaging countenance. He delivered his lectures without notes, walking backwards and forwards in the area of his room. As his elocution was good, and his voice and manner pleasing, he raised the attention of his hearers at all times; and when the subject led him to explain and enforce the moral virtues, he displayed a fervent and persuasive eloquence which was irresistible." A like account is given of him by his professed biographer Leechman: "A stature above middle size, a gesture and manner negligent and easy, but decent and manly, gave a dignity to his appearance. His complexion was fair and sanguine, and his features regular. His countenance and look bespoke sense, spirit, kindness and joy of heart," It may be added that this is the very impression left as we gaze on his portrait, with wig and gown, with florid face, and easy but dignified air, in the common hall of Glasgow College. Leechman represents him as dwelling in his lectures in a more diffuse manner
He was chosen to succeed Carmichael, Dec. 19, 1729, by a majority of the Faculty, over Mr. Warner, favored at first by the principal, and over Mr. Frederick Carmichael, son of Gershom, supported by five of the professors. His appointment could be justified on the ground of merit; but he owed it mainly {59} to family connections, who gained Lord Isla, the great government patron of the day, before whom the principal had to give way.[14] In October, 1730, twenty English students have come to the college, expecting Mr. Hutcheson -- whose " Inquiry " and work on the " Passions " were already well known -- to " teach morality Professor Loudon, however, insisted that he had a right to take the chair of Moral Philosophy, whereupon the English students gave in a paper declaring that, if Mr. Hutcheson, who had not yet come over from Ireland, did not teach them morality, they would set off to Edinburgh, and Mr. Loudon had to yield. On November 30, he was publicly admitted, and delivered, in a low tone and hurried manner, as if awed and bashful, an inaugural discourse, "De Naturali Hominum Socialitate," in which he expounds, in a clear and pleasant manner, and in good Latin, his favorite doctrine as to man having in his nature disinterested affections. He maintains, in opposition to the "very celebrated" Locke, that man has something natural, but admits that it requires time and circumstances to bring it forth; and in opposition to Hobbes and Puffendorff, that man can be swayed by other motives than self-love. He represents the conscience as the [Greek term] to which all our nature ought to be subjected, and to which it had been subjected in our entire state; but admits that our nature is fallen, weakened, and corrupted, in many ways. Hutcheson lectured five days a week on his proper course, which embraced Natural Religion, Morals, jurisprudence, and Government; and at another hour he read three days of the week, with his students, some of the finest writers of antiquity, Greek and Latin, on the subject of morals; interpreting both the language and sentiment. This practice of combining reading with lectures was followed by his successors in the moral chair in Glasgow, and is vastly superior to the plan of the Edinburgh professors of a later date, who instructed their pupils only by reading lectures. His prelections were at first, after the manner of the times, in Latin; but he had the courage to break off from the ancient custom, and to speak in the English tongue, no doubt to the great joy and benefit of the students, who might lose somewhat in not being familiarized with the ancient learned language; but would gain vastly more in being brought into close sympathy with the {60} speaker, in listening from day to day to elegant English, and in the mastery which they would thereby acquire over their own tongue. Dr. Carlyle has left us a picture of the lecturer: "I attended Hutcheson's class this year (I 743-44) with great satisfaction and improvement. He was a good- looking man, of engaging countenance. He delivered his lectures without notes, walking backwards and forwards in the area of his room. As his elocution was good, and his voice and manner pleasing, he raised the attention of his hearers at all times; and when the subject led him to explain and enforce the moral virtues, he displayed a fervent and persuasive eloquence which was irresistible." A like account is given of him by his professed biographer Leechman: "A stature above middle size, a gesture and manner negligent and easy, but decent and manly, gave a dignity to his appearance. His complexion was fair and sanguine, and his features regular. His countenance and look bespoke sense, spirit, kindness and joy of heart," It may be added that this is the very impression left as we gaze on his portrait, with wig and gown, with florid face, and easy but dignified air, in the common hall of Glasgow College. Leechman represents him as dwelling in his lectures in a more diffuse manner