George Davie and the democratic intellect

This chapter focuses on George Davie’s book The Democratic Intellect. First published in 1961 the book had a huge influence on educational thinking in the years following its publication. It was also the first book to draw attention to Scottish philosophy in the nineteenth century as a subject of continuing intellectual interest. Davie’s work on the transformation of the Scottish Enlightenment in the nineteenth century led him to formulate a famous and influential account of the special role of philosophy in the Scottish educational system. This chapter explains Davie’s principal contentions and subjects them to critical examination. It contrasts their grounding in history with their attraction as an articulation of nationalist ideals. The chapter sets Davies claims in the wider context of the history and sociology of education in Scotland.