University of Edinburgh's Crusade Against the Age of Reason

University of Edinburgh's Crusade Against the Age of Reason

In a recent report titled "Decolonised Transformations", commissioned by the University of Edinburgh, the institution's historical links to enslavement, colonialism, and racial thought have been brought into question. The report asserts that Edinburgh University was not only complicit in but partly dependent on the systems of enslavement and colonial exploitation, influencing its academic disciplines, including racial pseudosciences like phrenology [1][3].

The report, authored by Tommy J Curry, a philosophy professor at Edinburgh who specializes in critical race theory, and Hugo Timms, an editorial assistant at a specific website, challenges the traditionally celebrated narrative of the Scottish Enlightenment and Edinburgh University as purely progressive and foundational for human freedom and prosperity. Instead, it portrays the university as a "haven for white supremacy" that played an outsized role in developing racial theories during the 18th century, a period often heralded as the Scottish Enlightenment’s golden age [2].

The report's main argument revolves around the university's financial benefits from historic endowments tied to profits from colonial commodities and slavery. It encourages the university to confront and address these historical injustices through ongoing research, public engagement, and reparatory recommendations, including support for racially minoritized groups [1][3].

The report's implications extend beyond Edinburgh University, prompting a broader debate about how historic institutions reckon with their colonial and racial pasts, and how this shapes their present institutional culture and values [3]. One of the key figures under scrutiny is 18th-century philosopher David Hume, initially a student and later a librarian at Edinburgh, who is accused of contributing to the "intellectual justification" for the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of African people [3].

The report also accuses James Sutherland, Edinburgh's first professor of botany, of having a connection to the slave trade, but the evidence provided for this claim is threadbare [3]. The university has already shown a willingness to excommunicate one of its most important alumni, David Hume, at the demand of a handful of students [3].

The website, on which the report was published, relies heavily on reader donations for its revenue. Most of the website's revenue comes from reader donations, with the majority giving £5 per month. Regular donations of £5 a month or £50 a year can provide benefits such as ad-free reading, exclusive events, and access to the comments section [3].

The report's real target is the Scottish Enlightenment, and Curry's goal is to change the understanding of the Scottish Enlightenment and to diminish Edinburgh University's association with it [3]. The 'decolonisation' movement has published a report that accuses Edinburgh University of being a 'haven' for white supremacy and playing an 'outsized role' in developing racial pseudosciences [3].

The report was commissioned by Edinburgh University in response to the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. It calls for a decolonized transformation of the university by exposing uncomfortable historical truths and recommending actions to make the institution more equitable and reflective on its heritage [1][3]. The impact on the historical significance of the Scottish Enlightenment and Edinburgh University includes revising the legacy of the Scottish Enlightenment to acknowledge its complicity in racial discrimination and colonial oppression, rather than viewing it solely as a beacon of liberal progress [2][3].

The website features articles on various topics, including free speech, world news, long-reads, identity politics, and Edinburgh University's war on the Enlightenment. It also offers a podcast and other long-reads [3]. The report's attacks on the Enlightenment must be fiercely resisted, as the ideas of the Scottish Enlightenment have liberated billions from poverty and superstition [3].

1. The 'decolonisation' movement's report, published on a certain website, calls for a decolonized transformation of Edinburgh University, accusing it of being a 'haven' for white supremacy and playing an 'outsized role' in developing racial pseudosciences.
2. The report asserts that Edinburgh University was not only complicit in but partly dependent on the systems of enslavement and colonial exploitation, influencing its academic disciplines and shaping the general news and education-and-self-development discussions.
3. The university's historical links to enslavement, colonialism, and racial thought have been brought into question, with a focus on figures like 18th-century philosopher David Hume, who is accused of contributing to the intellectual justification for the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of African people.
4. The website's revenue mainly comes from reader donations, and the report's real target is the Scottish Enlightenment, with its author seeking to change the understanding of the Scottish Enlightenment and diminish Edinburgh University's association with it, a movement that could have significant impacts on free speech and politics.

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