Francis Hutcheson
modernScottish Enlightenment / Moral Sense Theory1694 – 1746
Francis Hutcheson (1694–1746) was an Irish-Scottish philosopher regarded as a founding figure of the Scottish Enlightenment. He developed an influential moral sense theory holding that humans possess an innate faculty for perceiving moral qualities, and his aesthetics grounded beauty in a sense of 'uniformity amidst variety,' influencing later thinkers including David Hume and Adam Smith.
Notable Achievements
1
Developed the moral sense theory of ethics, arguing humans have an innate capacity to perceive virtue
2
Articulated the aesthetic principle of 'uniformity amidst variety' as the foundation of beauty
3
Served as Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Glasgow, shaping the Scottish Enlightenment
4
Formulated an early version of the utilitarian principle of 'the greatest happiness for the greatest numbers'
5
Authored An Inquiry into the Original of Our Ideas of Beauty and Virtue (1725)