6 thinkers, books, and ideas connected to this field.
Scottish moral philosopher and economist — author of The Wealth of Nations and The Theory of Moral Sentiments — founder of modern economics — whose invisible hand metaphor and division of labor analysis are the foundational concepts of market economics.
Scottish Franciscan friar known as the Subtle Doctor — who developed a complex metaphysical system including the doctrines of haecceity (thisness — what makes an individual particular) and univocity of being — and whose voluntarism (God acts by will rather than reason) influenced both Ockham and the later Protestant stress on divine will.
Scottish author — wrote literary fiction as Iain Banks and science fiction as Iain M. Banks — creator of the Culture series — who died of cancer at 59 — considered the most important British science fiction author of his generation.
Scottish archaeologist and television presenter who presented Coast, A History of Scotland, and Vikings for the BBC — the most prominent public archaeologist in Britain — who has become a prominent voice of lockdown skepticism and civil liberties advocacy.
Scottish historian at Hoover Institution — author of The Pity of War, Empire, The Ascent of Money, Civilization, and Kissinger — the most commercially successful academic historian of his generation — whose rehabilitation of British imperialism and contrarian geopolitical views make him consistently controversial.
Scottish historian based in India who wrote In Xanadu, City of Djinns, White Mughals, The Last Mughal, Return of a King, and The Anarchy — among the most acclaimed popular historians of South Asian history — known for his accessible narrative style and archival depth.