Hutcheson
modernMoral Sense Theory, Scottish Enlightenment, British Empiricism1694 – 1746
Francis Hutcheson (1694–1746) was a Scottish-Irish philosopher and a founding figure of the Scottish Enlightenment, best known for developing the moral sense theory — the view that humans possess an innate faculty for perceiving moral and aesthetic qualities. Professor of Moral Philosophy at Glasgow, he profoundly influenced Adam Smith, David Hume, and later utilitarian thought. His work argued that virtue and beauty are objective features grasped by internal senses, not mere products of self-interest or convention.
Notable Achievements
1
Developed the moral sense theory, positing an innate faculty for perceiving moral goodness
2
Articulated an internal sense of beauty, grounding aesthetic judgment in objective qualities
3
Prefigured utilitarianism with the formula 'the greatest happiness for the greatest numbers'
4
Authored An Inquiry into the Original of Our Ideas of Beauty and Virtue (1725)
5
Shaped the moral philosophy of Adam Smith and influenced Hume's ethical thought