Coming Soon
This database will provide a comprehensive listing of all known presentations, papers, and speakers at the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh from its founding in 1737 through its dissolution in 1783.
What This Database Will Include
- Speaker names with biographical information
- Presentation dates (when available)
- Paper titles and topics
- Publication status (which papers appeared in the Society's Essays and Observations)
- Cross-references to related presentations and discussions
- Network visualizations showing connections between speakers and topics
The Philosophical Society of Edinburgh
Founded in 1737, the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh was one of the most important scientific and learned societies in eighteenth-century Britain. Its membership included many of the leading figures of the Scottish Enlightenment:
- Colin Maclaurin (mathematician)
- William Cullen (physician and chemist)
- Joseph Black (chemist)
- John Walker (natural historian)
- Alexander Monro primus and secundus (anatomists)
- David Hume (philosopher - elected 1752)
- Adam Smith (political economist)
The Society published five volumes of Essays and Observations, Physical and Literary between 1754 and 1771, which circulated throughout Europe and established Edinburgh's reputation as a center of scientific learning.
Why This Matters
Understanding who presented what and when at the Society reveals:
- Intellectual networks: How ideas circulated among Edinburgh's learned community
- Development of disciplines: The emergence of specialized fields from natural philosophy
- Patronage and politics: The role of aristocratic patrons like the Earl of Morton
- Publication patterns: Which topics were deemed important enough for publication
- International connections: Correspondence and exchange with European academies
Essential Reading: Roger Emerson's Series
The definitive scholarly work on the Philosophical Society is Roger L. Emerson's four-part series in the British Journal for the History of Science:
-
"The Philosophical Society of Edinburgh 1737–1747"
British Journal for the History of Science, Vol. 12, Issue 2 (1979), pp. 154-191
Cambridge Core | PubMed PMID: 11611948 -
"The Philosophical Society of Edinburgh 1748–1768"
British Journal for the History of Science, Vol. 14, Issue 47 Pt 2 (1981), pp. 133-176
Cambridge Core | PubMed PMID: 11610949 -
"The Philosophical Society of Edinburgh 1768–1783"
British Journal for the History of Science, Vol. 18, Issue 3 (1985), pp. 255-303
Cambridge Core | PubMed PMID: 11620799 -
"The Scottish Enlightenment and the End of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh"
British Journal for the History of Science, Vol. 21, Issue 1 (1988), pp. 33-66
Cambridge Core | PubMed PMID: 11621404
Related work:
- Emerson, Roger L. "Sir Robert Sibbald, Kt, The Royal Society of Scotland and the origins of the Scottish enlightenment." Annals of Science, Vol. 45, Issue 1 (1988), pp. 41-72
DOI: 10.1080/00033798800200111
Emerson's articles contain extensive appendices listing members, presentations, and publications. These will form the foundation of this database.
Primary Sources
The Society's published volumes:
- Essays and Observations, Physical and Literary, 5 volumes (Edinburgh, 1754-1771)
- Available at major research libraries; some volumes digitized on Google Books and HathiTrust
Manuscript materials:
- Royal Society of Edinburgh Archives
- Edinburgh University Library Special Collections
- National Library of Scotland
Data Collection Status
Currently compiling information from:
- Emerson's published appendices and tables
- The five volumes of Essays and Observations
- Minute books and correspondence (where surviving)
- Contemporary references in letters and diaries
Estimated completion: 2026
This is a work in progress. Check back for updates, or contact me if you have information to contribute.