Scotland and the Scottish Diaspora
"It's part of me, Scotland. I'm still immersed in it even though I am not there." -- Irvine Welsh (1958 - ), Scots novelist, short story writer, playwright, author of Trainspotting among many other works).
All my life I have been interested in the history of Scotland and the profound consequences of the Scottish diaspora throughout the world. Scotland and the Scots are appealing in so many ways -- the beauty of the land- and seascapes, the food and drink, the extraordinarily resourceful and creative people, the dramatic history from antiquity to the present, the great literature and history and philosophy and religion. The subjects are themselves enough to inspire writing, but there is great satisfaction in the fact that the Scots have lived up to the subjects on their own writ.
Over many years I have researched the history of Cumberland Valley, and I have often talked about the Scots, the Scots-Irish, and the settlement of this part of the New World by these willing and not-so-willing exiles. In recognition of the history and significance of the Scots to our area, I fly the Saltire and carry these books and cds. I am always on the lookout for more.
P.S. Due to listing limitations, I have moved Ian Rankin and Denise Mina, two fine writers of the Scots Noir movement, over to our International Mystery page.
Selected Essays by David Hume
Selected Essays by David Hume
In his writings, David Hume set out to bridge the gap between the learned world of the academy and the marketplace of polite society. This collection, drawing largely on his Essays Mortal, Political, and Literary (1776 edition), comprehensively shows how far he succeeded.
As seen in these selections, Hume embraces a staggering range of social, cultural, political, demographic, and historical concerns, charting the state of civil society, manners, morals, and taste, and the development of political economy in the mid-eighteenth century. These essays represent not only those areas where Hume's arguments representative of his age, but also where he is strikingly innovative.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Note on the Text
Select Bibliography
Chronology
Of Essay Writing
Of the Middle Station of Life
Of the Delicacy of Taste and Passion
That Politics may be Reduced to a Science
Of the First Principles of Government
Of the Origin of Government
Of the Parties of Great Britain
Of Superstition and Enthusiasm
Of the Dignity or Meanness of Human Nature
Of Civil Liberty
Of the Rise and Progress of the Arts and Sciences
The Epicurean
The Stoic
The Platonist
The Sceptic
Of National Characters
Of Tragedy
Of the Standard of Taste
Of Commerce
Of Refinement in the Arts
Of Interest
Of the Balance of Trade
Of Public Credit
Of Some Remarkable Customs
Of the Populousness of Ancient Nations
Of the Original Contract
Of the Protestant Succession
Idea of a Perfect Commonwealth
On Suicide
On the Immortality of the Soul