This major contribution to the history of philosophy provides the most comprehensive guide to modern natural law theory available; sets out the full background to liberal ideas of rights and contractarianism; and offers an extensive study of the Scottish Enlightenment.

Introduction: the Scottish Enlightenment in the history of ideas; 1. Natural law in the seventeenth century; 2. Natural law and moral realism: the civic-humanist synthesis in Francis Hutcheson and George Turnbull; 3. Between superstition and enthusiasm: David Hume's theory of justice, government and politics; 4. Adam Smith out of context: his theory of rights in Prussian perspective; 5. John Millar and the science of a legislator; 6. Thomas Reid's moral and political philosophy; 7. Dugald Stewart and the science of a legislator; 8. The science of a legislator in James Mackintosh's moral philosophy; 9. James Mill and Scottish moral philosophy; 10. From natural law to the rights of man; a European perspective on American debates; Bibliography.