a pious and sensible politeness forgotten contributions of george jardine and sir william hamilton to 19th century american intellectual

Glasgow Theses Service http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ theses@gla.ac.uk Clark, Duane (2014) A pious and sensible politeness: forgotten contributions of George Jardine and Sir William Hamilton to 19th Century American intellectual development.PhD thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/5670/ Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW A Pious and Sensible Politeness: Forgotten Contributions of George Jardine and Sir William Hamilton to 19 th Century American Intellectual Development Duane E Clark MA, ABD Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of PhD DEPARTMENT OF SCOTTISH HISTORY DEPARTMENT OF SCOTTISH LITERTURE July 2014 ii Abstract: A Pious and Sensible Politeness: Forgotten Contributions of George Jardine and Sir William Hamilton to 19 th Century American Intellectual Development In recent years there has been a renewed interest in Scottish contributions to the intellectual development in the early America. There has been a significant amount of work focused on Scottish luminaries such as Hutcheson, Hume and Smith and their influence on the eighteenth century American founding fathers. However, little attention has been directed at what we might call the later reception of the Scottish Enlightenment in the first half of the nineteenth century. This thesis presents an in-depth account of the intellectual and literary contributions of two relatively obscure philosophers of the nineteenth century: George Jardine and Sir William Hamilton. This study is framed by biographies of their lives as academics and then focuses on a detailed account of their work as represented in American books and periodicals. In addition, some attention will be given to their respected legacies, in regards to their students who immigrated to America. This thesis is comprised of two sections. The first contains five chapters that lay out the details of the lives and legacies of Jardine and Hamilton. Chapter 1 looks at the literary and historical context of Scotland’s contributions to early American academic development. Chapter 2 is a focused biography of the academic life of George Jardine. Though this biography centres on Jardine’s life as an educator, it constitutes the most complete account of his life to date. Chapter 3 looks in depth at Jardine’s academic and literary reception in America. This chapter chronicles the dissemination of Jardine’s pedagogical strategies by former students who immigrated to America as well as how his ideas were presented in American books and journals. Chapter 4 returns to a biographical format focused on one of Jardine’s most famous students – Sir William Hamilton. Like the biography on Jardine the emphasis of this chapter is on Hamilton’s role as an educator. Chapter 5 looks at Sir William Hamilton’s academic and literary reception in the United States. This chapter also presents material on Hamilton’s personal connections to Americans that have been overlooked in transatlantic intellectual history. Section two presents annotated catalogs of books and journals that exemplify the literary reception of Jardine and Hamilton in America. In the case of Jardine I include catalogs of two of his students who immigrated to America as a means to highlight Jardine’s indirect impact on the American religious and educational literature. Whereas many have argued that the 19 th century witnessed a decline in Scottish education and Philosophy this study shows that these ideas thrived in America and it is evident Scotland was still exporting useful knowledge to the United States well past the civil war. ! iii Table!of!Contents! ! Chapter!1! !1! Introdu ctio n! !1! Scottish!American!Studies! !2! Colleges!and!Universities!in!the!United!States!from!1800!@!1840! !15! The!Scottish!Enlightenment! !17! Structure!of!this!study! !34! Chapter!2! !39! An!Applied!Biography!of!George!Jardine! !39! Biography;!Jardine!the!young!scholar! !40! Jardine!th e!tu to r! !45! Jardine!th e!p ro m is ing !pr o fess or! !48! Jardine’s!te ach in g!a nd !lea rn in g! !50! Jardine!in !con te xt! !52! The!so@called!“quiet!reformer”! !58! Jardine’s!cla ssr oo m!peda go g y! !62! Jardine!an d !the !Outlines)of)a)Philosophical)Education! !65! Chapter!3! !81! Jardine!an d !America! !81! Outlines!in!Americ a! !83! American!magazines!in!the!field!of!education! !86! American!journals:!Importing!a!Scottish!educational!philosophy! !89! Students,!Friends!and!Acquaintances!in!America! !94! The!Campbell!Men! !95! Robert!Owen!(1771@1858)! !101! William!Russell!(1798@1873)! !102! George!Ticknor!(1791@1873)! !104! Robert!Crichton!Wyllie!(1798@1865)! !105! Chapter!4! !123! An!Applied!Biography!of!Sir!William!Hamilton! !123! Hamilton!the!scholar! !126! Hamilton!search!of!a!career! !129! Chair!of!Metaphysics!and!Logic!at!the!University!of!Edinburgh! !140! In!poor!h ea lth! !143! Chapter!5! !150! Sir!William!Hamilton!and!the!American!literary!stage! !150! Hamilton’s!American!family!ties! !153! The!purchasing!power!of!Hamilton’s!name!and!work!in!America! !157! Francis!Bowen!and!Harvard!College! !162! Harvard!College!and!Hamiltonian!ideas! !165! iv Yale!and!Hamiltonian!ideas! !167! Brown!University!and!Hamiltonian!ideas! !169! American!intellectual!thought!and!Hamilton!philosophy! !170! Hamilton’s!students!in!America! !173! American!slavery!and!Sir!William!Hamilton! !176! Religion!in!America! !190! The!breadth!of!Hamilton’s!legacy!in!America! !194! Section!II! !196! Introdu ctio n! !196! George!Jardine!in!American!Books! !198! George!Jardine!in!American!Journals! !201! Publications!of!Alexander!Campbell! !211! Publications!of!William!Russell! !242! Sir!William!Hamilton!in!American!Books!and!Periodicals! !247! Books:! !247! Sir!William!Hamilton!in!American!Journals! !278! Biographical!Material! !278! Philosophy!and!Literature! !293! Psychology!and!Philosophy!of!the!Mind! !310! American!Encounters!with!Hamilton! !327! Authority!and!Scholarship! !328! Publications!of!James!McCosh! !331! Conclusion! !338! Selected!Bibliography! !348! iv Acknowledgements First and foremost I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisors, Gerry Curruthers and Colin Kidd, whose direction and encyclopedic knowledge of Scottish literature and history made this thesis possible. Mahalo nui to Dr. Allison (Francis) Paynter at Chaminade University, Richard Hill and Josh Wyant at the University of Hawaii Maui for their on-going encouragement and editorial comments on my thesis. A number of other individuals greatly contributed to the creation of this thesis; in particular, Janice Condron who opened her home to me during my time in Glasgow. A special thanks to Brian Halley and the entire crew at Slanj Kilts for the most unlikely employment for a visitor from Hawaii. I would like to thank the University of Hawaii and Chancellor Clyde Sakamoto for granting me a timely sabbatical and leave of absence to go to Scotland and pursue this doctorate. In addition, I would like to acknowledge the staff of the Glasgow University Library and Special Collections for the hours of assistance they provided me in archival research. Last but not least I would like to thank my son Kieran for uprooting from his tropical home to live in Glasgow and to Jill Marzo for her constant encouragement and moral support. iv Author’s Declaration I declare that, except where explicit reference is made to the contribution of others, that this dissertation is the result of my own work and has not been submitted for any other degree at the University of Glasgow or any other institution. Signature ___________________________________ Printed Name Duane E. Clark v vi 1 Chapter 1 Introduction This thesis presents an in-depth account of the intellectual and literary contributions of the Scottish philosophers George Jardine (1742-1827) and Sir William Hamilton (1778 - 1856). This study is framed by applied biographies of both Jardine and Hamilton, then focuses on a detailed account of their work as represented in American books and periodicals. 1 In addition, some attention will be given to their respective academic and professional legacies in regards to their students who immigrated to America. One of the first problems confronting this investigation centres on the value of studying such obscure but important figures. I believe, however, that by presenting long forgotten details of the contributions of these two men we begin to fill the void of some of the more general claims about the role of Scottish philosophy on the intellectual development in nineteenth-century America. Gordon Graham poses the question, “if there is such a thing as Scottish philosophy when was its heyday?” His answer: “It was not the eighteenth century but the early nineteenth century, when Stewart and Hamilton taught at Edinburgh and dominated the intellectual culture of the times.” 2 In like manner, Cairns Craig states, “If there was a period in which 1 I owe the term “applied biography” to Gerry Curruthers referring to a biography focused on a particular aspect or theme of a person’s life. In this case the biographies focus on the academic careers and literary exports of George Jardine and Sir William Hamilton. 2 Graham, Gordon (2003), “The Nineteenth-Century Aftermath”, In: Broadie, Alexander The Cambridge Companion to the Scottish Enlightenment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 342. [...]... of tracing one’s roots through genetics can be witnessed by the popularity of endeavours such as the National Geographic DNA project and the many online family lineage databases For thousands and thousands of Americans this search leads them to Scotland.6 In academia, Scottish -American Studies have been virtually non-existent until most recently.7 Perhaps part of this elusiveness is that for most Americans... Responses to Hume’s History of England”, and “Early American Responses to Hume’s character and Death” Spencer demonstrates that Hume’s work was relevant to a variety of topics in America in the nineteenth century 29 Sloan, Douglas (1971) The Scottish Enlightenment and the American College Ideal Columbia: Teachers College Press; vii 30 Both Witherspoon and Rush are forever etched into American history as signers... leading to the political union with England in 1707 There is an aspect of the Scottish Enlightenment that is particularly relevant to this study of George Jardine and Sir William Hamilton and that is looking at the era as presenting an educational imperative In his influential and controversial book, The Democratic Intellect, Scotland and her Universities in the Nineteenth Century, George Davie places... work of Sir William Hamilton Kant’s philosophy did not take root in Scotland and to some extent the spread of Kantian principles in Scotland and the United States was propagated via Hamilton Another fairly recent work that centres on the Scottish literary reception in America in detail is Richard Sher’s The Enlightenment and the Book This book identifies American publishers and maps out their relationship... general recognition of that contribution The Scottish case has been put, but, as it were, to an empty courtroom Thus American historians and American historiography have remained largely unaware of the Scottish dimension to the origins of their national identity and culture.18 However, with a fresh interest in American ancestral origins and a rise in acknowledging one’s cultural heritage, there have... Whereas some, like Samuel Fleischacker, Ronald Hamowy, George W Cary and Gary Schmitt, to name a few, question Wills's historical accuracy and think he has overstated the importance of Hutchison’s contributions to Jefferson, Wills has nonetheless opened the door to a new perspective on American intellectual development.13 10 Monck, W H S (1881) Sir William Hamilton London: S Low, Marston, Searle and. .. under attack by the Royal Commission of 1826.72 This attack was not strictly an outside assault Many Scots were critical of the current curriculum and lobbied for change Davie cites the views of Archdeacon Williams, who was Rector of the new Edinburgh academy, as an example of anti-philosophical pedagogy As Davie sees it, “what the archdeacon had in mind for Scottish Universities was apparently a very... rhetoricians and theologians”.16 Thus were the literary accomplishments of the Scottish Enlightenment the foundation for an enthusiastic reception from a rapidly expanding readership such as America in the nineteenth century Andrew Hook’s observations about the similarities between Scotland and America outline reasons why Scottish ideas were embraced across the Atlantic In his book, Scotland and America:... undisputed both at Harvard and the academic world at large” (The rise of American Philosophy, 19) There is a sense in which both of these claims can be reconciled That is, Kuklick is correct – up to the Civil War which ravaged America from 1861 to 1865, the Scottish intellect dominated the American academic scene And after the war this dominance began to fade James McCosh was in Harvard Medical School until... is that the American response to the philosophy imported from Scotland flourished in the nineteenth century I believe both these general claims are well-founded and can be supported by a closer look at George Jardine and Sir William Hamilton In terms of philosophical name recognition, these two Scottish thinkers range from the relatively unknown, as with Hamilton, to the nearly obscure as in Jardine s . National Geographic DNA project and the many online family lineage databases. For thousands and thousands of Americans this search leads them to Scotland. 6 In academia, Scottish -American Studies. !150! Sir! William! Hamilton !and! the !American! literary!stage! !150! Hamilton s !American! family!ties! !153! The!purchasing!power !of! Hamilton s!name !and! work!in!America! !157! Francis!Bowen !and! Harvard!College! !162! Harvard!College !and! Hamiltonian!ideas!. !162! Harvard!College !and! Hamiltonian!ideas! !165! iv Yale !and! Hamiltonian!ideas! !167! Brown!University !and! Hamiltonian!ideas! !169! American! intellectual! thought !and! Hamilton! philosophy! !170! Hamilton s!students!in!America!