Conjectural History and Anthropology

Among the most interesting and distinctively Scottish works of Enlightenment social thought were a number of studies that dealt with the evolution of society through a series of three or four stages, from 'rude' or primitive to 'civil' or polished. Towards the end of the Enlightenment, Dugald Stewart dubbed this kind of investigation into social development 'theoretical' or 'conjectural history', because it tried to fill in gaps in historical knowledge about particular nations by means of conjectures based on empirical knowledge of other nations that were thought to be at the same stage of historical development. This collection makes available some of the less famous works, writings that deserve to be better known if we are to understand the nature of the Scottish debate on social development from 'rudeness to refinement'. Each title in the collection includes a new introduction. -each title includes a new introduction -makes available some of the less well-known, scarce works