Scottish Enlightenment: the age of genius in Edinburgh 23 August 2013 Last updated at 17:11 Every August, Edinburgh is the focus of the arts world as thousands of visitors arrive for the International Festival, Festival Fringe and Book Festival. This historic city is well-used to being the centre of all things cultural. Two hundred and fifty years ago, Edinburgh was the backdrop to the Scottish Enlightenment, an intellectual movement which transformed the world. At the heart of the Enlightenment was a faith in the individual and in the power of human reason to determine what was of benefit to the individual and to society. The Scottish Enlightenment produced giants of British philosophy, economics and science; men such as David Hume, Adam Smith, James Watt, Francis Hutcheson, Joseph Black and James Hutton. Together they challenged established beliefs and traditions. Their ideas kick-started the industrial revolution and developed political theories that would be exported around the world. Here I stand, at what is called the Cross of Edinburgh, and can, in a few minutes, take 50 men of genius and learning by the hand. So said English chemist John Amyatt to William Smellie, editor of the first Encyclopaedia Britannica. But why did the Scottish capital teem with so many learned men? Sparks of Enlightenment Long before the 18th Century, Scotland had an aptitude for learning. The nation was highly literate due to the religious Reformation of the 16th Century after which the Protestant Kirk demanded a school in every parish. "The Church of Scotland wanted to see widespread education, they believed in people reading the Bible," says Emeritus Professor Robert Anderson of the University of Edinburgh. Education wasn't compulsory but there was strong religious encouragement to it. By the end of the 18th Century in the Scottish lowlands it was the norm for people to read, in contrast to England where literacy was lower. While education played an important role in stimulating the Enlightenment, finance was also key. Following the Act of Union in 1707, the Scots were given access to the Empire and new lucrative trading opportunities. Money began flooding into Scotland. The creation of the Bank of Scotland in 1695 and the Royal Bank of Scotland in 1727 led to the availability of finance and credit to assist inventions. Added to this powerful blend was the close connection between academia and industry. The universities were willing to invest in new ideas and technologies that would give them the edge over rivals and garner the prestige associated with success. The Act of Union, with its transference of political power to Westminster, may also have played a further role, according to Dr Catherine Jones of the University of Aberdeen. Some people link [Edinburgh's Enlightenment] to the loss of the parliament to England. The intellectual life of the capital became very important. A sociable scene The importance of reason and the progress of society were central to the thinking of the era. The conversations that sparked radical ideas took place not, as might be expected, in fusty university buildings but in the capital's taverns and salons during amiable gatherings over copious amounts of claret. In Edinburgh, clubs such as the Select Society, the Oyster Club and the Poker Club attracted the philosophers and scientists of the day. It would not have been unusual to find economist Adam Smith, geologist James Hutton and chemist Joseph Black gathered together critiquing each other's work. These conversations were not confined to Edinburgh; they were also taking place around universities in Glasgow and Aberdeen. Indeed, the Enlightenment was not a uniquely Scottish phenomenon. There was widespread debate across Europe in the same period with frequent exchanges of ideas across borders. France was one of those countries which influenced events in Scotland, according to Dr Jones. The Scots were talking to key French figures such as [philosopher Jean-Jacques] Rousseau. The French Enlightenment is [separate] and the Scottish Enlightenment interacts with that. The French writer and philosopher Voltaire was so impressed by Scottish ideas that he claimed, "We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation." "The French Enlightenment becomes more radical," says Dr Jones, "because it ends up with the French Revolution, whereas in Scotland we don't end up with a revolution. [Scottish Enlightenment has] a more moderate element to it. Crossing the Atlantic The storming of the Bastille in 1789 proved to be the trigger for the French Revolution, which would end the rule of monarchy and the feudal system. The events in Paris followed another revolution - the American War of Independence which ended in 1783 with the founding of a new nation influenced by ideas born in Scotland. A lot of the colleges in America taught the [concepts of] Scottish Enlightenment. So some of the key founding fathers of America, a lot of their education, their way of thinking comes from the Scottish Enlightenment," says Dr Jones. The ideas of the philosopher Francis Hutcheson, father of the Scottish Enlightenment and his views on liberal democracy and the rights of the individual had been embedded in the education of several of the men who signed the American Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the first draft and Benjamin Franklin, who contributed to revisions, were both taught by Scottish professors. During his college years, between 1760-1762, the young Jefferson was influenced by Dr William Small, a professor of natural philosophy and mathematics who acted as mentor to the future President. Born and educated in Scotland, Small had immersed himself in Enlightenment thinking and philosophy. Jefferson later described Small as "a man profound in most of the useful branches of science, with a happy talent of communication, correct and gentlemanly manners, and an enlarged and liberal mind." Benjamin Franklin twice visited Scotland, being granted an honorary degree by the University of St Andrews in 1759. In Edinburgh, he met Adam Smith and David Hume. Franklin advised Smith as he wrote The Wealth of Nations by reading and debating completed chapters. Smith occasionally rewrote passages following their discussions. What did the French revolution mean for Britain? As the Revolution gripped Paris, British dissenters saw reason to celebrate. But resilience among the British élite and the weakness of political opposition soon dampened the fires of revolt. The hugely influential book on economic theory was published in 1776, the year the American Declaration of Independence was signed. Its theme of free trade unhindered by government proved popular in a nation that had just thrown off British colonial rule in a revolution fuelled by resentment over taxes and barriers to trade. "In political economy, I think Smith's Wealth of Nations the best book extant," wrote Jefferson. Modern Edinburgh Today, visitors from the US play a significant role in the Scottish economy, according to national tourism organisation VisitScotland, Every August, Edinburgh becomes the cultural hub of the United Kingdom, playing host to acclaimed artistes who pull in international audiences. But, festivals aside, the city and its rich history remain a huge draw for overseas visitors. In Edinburgh's centre lies the New Town, designed according to ideas of rationalism and modernity and built to reflect Enlightenment thinking. It is now considered a masterpiece of town planning. The New Town remains a testimony in stone and brick to the genius and industry of the Scottish Enlightenment, a movement which helped shape the modern world.