Observations upon Liberal Education, in All Its Branches (Natural Law and Enlightenment Classics)

Originally published in 1742, Observations upon Liberal Education is a significant contribution to the Scottish Enlightenment and the moral-sense school of Scottish philosophy. In Observations, Turnbull applies the ideas of the Scottish Enlightenment to the education of youth. He shows how a liberal education fosters true “inward liberty” and moral strength and thus prepares us for responsible and happy lives in a free society. George Turnbull (1698–1748) taught at Marischal College, Aberdeen. Terrence O. Moore, Jr., is Principal of Ridgeview Classical Schools in Fort Collins, Colorado, and was formerly Assistant Professor of History at Ashland University in Ohio. Originally published in 1742 and presented here in its first modern edition, Observations upon Liberal Education is a significant contribution to the Scottish Enlightenment and the moral-sense school of Scottish philosophy. George Turnbull embodied these movements of ideas as much as his more famous contemporary Francis Hutcheson. In Observations, Turnbull applied these ideas to the education of youth. He showed how a liberal education fosters true inward liberty and moral strength and thus prepares for responsible and happy lives in a free society. He drew upon an impressive number of authors, both ancient and modern, including John Locke. Indeed, there is probably no richer treasure trove of sources for the educational debates of the eighteenth century. Terrence Moore, who wrote the introduction, notes that Observations upon Liberal Education provides an extensive and illuminating treatment of education, sensitive to the means of inculcating the personal responsibility necessary for living in a free society. Turnbull was the mentor of Thomas Reid, but his influence was not confined to Scotland. Benjamin Franklin, in drafting his Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania, drew generously from Observations. George Turnbull (16981748) belongs to the founding figures in the Scottish Enlightenment. Finding their native Calvinism repressive, they sought a rational religion closely associated with their new science of human nature, supportive of tolerance, and compatible with classical ideals. Terrence O. Moore, Jr., is Principal of Ridgeview Classical Schools in Fort Collins, Colorado. Knud Haakonssen is Professor of Intellectual History at the University of Sussex, England. Although Francis Hutcheson Is Widely Considered The Father Of The Scottish Enlightenment, His Contemporary George Turnbull (1698-1748) Equally Embodied In His Life, And Produced With His Pen, The Moral And Intellectual Forces And Principles By Which The Scottish Enlightenment Came To Be Known. Turnbull Is One Of The Earliest And Perhaps One Of The Least-remembered Authors In The Scottish Tradition. While Teaching Moral Philosophy At Marischal College, Aberdeen, He Mentored Thomas Reid, Who Became The Founder Of The Important Common-sense School Of Scottish Moral Philosophy. Knud Haakonssen Notes That Turnbull's Pivotal Role In The Scottish Enlightenment Has Come To Be Recognized In Much Recent Work. In Order To Construct A Comprehensive Educational Program, Turnbull Drew Upon An Impressive Number Of Authors, Both Ancient And Modern. Indeed, There Is Perhaps No Better Treasure Trove Of Sources For All The Various Educational Debates That Took Place During The Eighteenth Century. The Work's Influence Was By No Means Confined To Scotland. Benjamin Franklin Drew Generouly Upon The Observations In Creating His Own Plan Of Education In Philadelphia.--book Jacket. Observations Upon Liberal Education, In All Its Branches -- Index. George Turnbull ; Edited And With An Introduction By Terrence O. Moore, Jr. Originally Published: Observations Upon Liberal Education, In All Its Branches. London : Printed For A. Millar. 1742. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Turnbull, Observations upon Liberal Education (1742) Front Matter Title Page Contents, p. vii Introduction, p. ix Editorial Note, p. xviii Acknowledgments, p. xxi Observations upon Liberal Education Original Title Page, p. 1 Prefatory Letter, p. 3 Contents, p. 5 Part I. Plutarchus Plasmatias, p. 21 Part II. Plutarchus Plasmatias, p. 91 Part III. An Essay on Liberal Education, p. 169 Index, p. 423 End of the Book, p. 448 "Observations Upon Liberal Education", the first modern edition, arose from a longing for a liberty of mind and tried to lay the groundwork for a society of free, virtuous and educated citizens.