Enlightenment's Frontier

Far more than a history of the Scottish Enlightenment, Enlightenment's Frontier explores how the landscapes of the Scottish Highlands shaped some of the earliest ideas about humanity's relationship with the natural world. Fredrik Albritton Jonsson argues that the Highlands were not merely a remote backdrop to eighteenth-century intellectual life but an active testing ground where philosophers, landowners, natural historians, and government officials wrestled with questions of agriculture, forestry, population, commerce, and the limits of natural resources.

Drawing on a rich range of historical sources, the book examines ambitious schemes to "improve" Highland society and its environment through scientific agriculture, woodland planting, and economic development. These efforts reflected the optimism of the Scottish Enlightenment, yet they also revealed tensions between economic expansion and environmental sustainability. As many improvement projects faltered, concerns over soil depletion, deforestation, resource scarcity, and overpopulation began to challenge prevailing faith in unlimited progress.

Jonsson demonstrates that these debates anticipated many of the themes central to modern environmental thought. By placing the Highlands at the centre of eighteenth-century intellectual history, he reveals how Scotland's unique landscapes helped shape discussions about conservation, political economy, and the ecological consequences of human activity. The result is a thought-provoking study that connects the ideals of the Enlightenment with the origins of environmentalism, offering fresh insights into both Scottish history and the development of modern ecological thinking.

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