PHILOSOPHER
Francis Hutcheson
1694 - 1746

Francis Hutcheson
Francis Hutcheson (; 8 August 1694 – 8 August 1746) was an Irish philosopher of Scottish descent, widely regarded as one of the key figures of the early Scottish Enlightenment. He served as Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Glasgow and was a major advocate of moral sense theory, which holds that humans possess an innate sense that guides moral judgments. Hutcheson is best known for his ethical writings, in which he defends benevolence as the primary source of moral virtue and anticipates later utilitarian theories with his formulation of "the greatest happiness for the greatest number". Beyond ethics, Hutcheson made significant contributions to aesthetics, epistemology, logic, and metaphysics. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Francis Hutcheson is the 415th most popular philosopher (down from 370th in 2019), the 960th most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 700th in 2019) and the 25th most popular British Philosopher.
Francis Hutcheson is most famous for his moral philosophy. He believed that moral values are innate and that humans are born with a sense of right and wrong. He also believed that humans are born with the ability to reason and that this is how we know what is right or wrong.
Memorability Metrics
Page views of Francis Hutcheson by language
Among PHILOSOPHERS
Among philosophers, Francis Hutcheson ranks 415 out of 1,267. Before him are Mulla Sadra, Marcus Cornelius Fronto, Jean Gerson, Hilary Putnam, Leszek Kołakowski, and Bharadwaja. After him are Alain de Benoist, Adolf von Harnack, Masanobu Fukuoka, John Toland, Yi Hwang, and Étienne Gilson.
Most Popular Philosophers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsMulla Sadra
1571 - 1636
HPI: 68.03
Rank: 409
Marcus Cornelius Fronto
100 - 160
HPI: 68.00
Rank: 410
Jean Gerson
1363 - 1429
HPI: 68.00
Rank: 411
Hilary Putnam
1926 - 2016
HPI: 67.99
Rank: 412
Leszek Kołakowski
1927 - 2009
HPI: 67.99
Rank: 413
Bharadwaja
2000 BC - 2000 BC
HPI: 67.98
Rank: 414
Francis Hutcheson
1694 - 1746
HPI: 67.91
Rank: 415
Alain de Benoist
1943 - Present
HPI: 67.91
Rank: 416
Adolf von Harnack
1851 - 1930
HPI: 67.84
Rank: 417
Masanobu Fukuoka
1913 - 2008
HPI: 67.78
Rank: 418
John Toland
1670 - 1722
HPI: 67.77
Rank: 419
Yi Hwang
1501 - 1570
HPI: 67.75
Rank: 420
Étienne Gilson
1884 - 1978
HPI: 67.75
Rank: 421
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1694, Francis Hutcheson ranks 4. Before him are Voltaire, François Quesnay, and Yeongjo of Joseon. After him are Louis-Claude Daquin, Georg Brandt, Paul of the Cross, Leonardo Leo, Hermann Samuel Reimarus, Henry Pelham, Count Palatine Joseph Charles of Sulzbach, and Theodore of Corsica. Among people deceased in 1746, Francis Hutcheson ranks 6. Before him are Philip V of Spain, Christian VI of Denmark, Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain, Colin Maclaurin, and Georg Wilhelm Steller. After him are Nicolas de Largillière, Anna Leopoldovna, Domenico Alberti, Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer, and Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.
Others Born in 1694
Go to all RankingsVoltaire
WRITER
1694 - 1778
HPI: 89.44
Rank: 1
François Quesnay
ECONOMIST
1694 - 1774
HPI: 76.73
Rank: 2
Yeongjo of Joseon
POLITICIAN
1694 - 1776
HPI: 75.21
Rank: 3
Francis Hutcheson
PHILOSOPHER
1694 - 1746
HPI: 67.91
Rank: 4
Louis-Claude Daquin
COMPOSER
1694 - 1772
HPI: 67.38
Rank: 5
Georg Brandt
CHEMIST
1694 - 1768
HPI: 66.89
Rank: 6
Paul of the Cross
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1694 - 1775
HPI: 66.55
Rank: 7
Leonardo Leo
COMPOSER
1694 - 1744
HPI: 66.07
Rank: 8
Hermann Samuel Reimarus
PHILOSOPHER
1694 - 1768
HPI: 64.56
Rank: 9
Henry Pelham
POLITICIAN
1694 - 1754
HPI: 64.53
Rank: 10
Count Palatine Joseph Charles of Sulzbach
POLITICIAN
1694 - 1729
HPI: 64.34
Rank: 11
Theodore of Corsica
POLITICIAN
1694 - 1756
HPI: 63.74
Rank: 12
Others Deceased in 1746
Go to all RankingsPhilip V of Spain
POLITICIAN
1683 - 1746
HPI: 79.26
Rank: 1
Christian VI of Denmark
POLITICIAN
1699 - 1746
HPI: 77.47
Rank: 2
Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain
POLITICIAN
1726 - 1746
HPI: 72.23
Rank: 3
Colin Maclaurin
MATHEMATICIAN
1698 - 1746
HPI: 68.90
Rank: 4
Georg Wilhelm Steller
BIOLOGIST
1709 - 1746
HPI: 68.25
Rank: 5
Francis Hutcheson
PHILOSOPHER
1694 - 1746
HPI: 67.91
Rank: 6
Nicolas de Largillière
PAINTER
1656 - 1746
HPI: 65.86
Rank: 7
Anna Leopoldovna
POLITICIAN
1718 - 1746
HPI: 65.72
Rank: 8
Domenico Alberti
MUSICIAN
1710 - 1746
HPI: 65.15
Rank: 9
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
PHILOSOPHER
1707 - 1746
HPI: 61.47
Rank: 10
Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer
COMPOSER
1656 - 1746
HPI: 61.28
Rank: 11
Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
NOBLEMAN
1679 - 1746
HPI: 61.22
Rank: 12
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, Francis Hutcheson ranks 960 out of 8,785. Before him are Peter Cushing (1913), Kevin Keegan (1951), Richard Arkwright (1732), William Holman Hunt (1827), Naomi Campbell (1970), and Thomas Malory (1405). After him are Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis (1891), Edmund Spenser (1552), Jessica Tandy (1909), Brenda Blethyn (1946), Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817), and Robert FitzRoy (1805).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsPeter Cushing
ACTOR
1913 - 1994
HPI: 67.93
Rank: 954
Kevin Keegan
SOCCER PLAYER
1951 - Present
HPI: 67.93
Rank: 955
Richard Arkwright
INVENTOR
1732 - 1792
HPI: 67.93
Rank: 956
William Holman Hunt
PAINTER
1827 - 1910
HPI: 67.93
Rank: 957
Naomi Campbell
MODEL
1970 - Present
HPI: 67.92
Rank: 958
Thomas Malory
WRITER
1405 - 1471
HPI: 67.91
Rank: 959
Francis Hutcheson
PHILOSOPHER
1694 - 1746
HPI: 67.91
Rank: 960
Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1891 - 1969
HPI: 67.90
Rank: 961
Edmund Spenser
WRITER
1552 - 1599
HPI: 67.90
Rank: 962
Jessica Tandy
ACTOR
1909 - 1994
HPI: 67.87
Rank: 963
Brenda Blethyn
ACTOR
1946 - Present
HPI: 67.86
Rank: 964
Joseph Dalton Hooker
BIOLOGIST
1817 - 1911
HPI: 67.85
Rank: 965
Robert FitzRoy
EXPLORER
1805 - 1865
HPI: 67.85
Rank: 966
Among PHILOSOPHERS In United Kingdom
Among philosophers born in United Kingdom, Francis Hutcheson ranks 25. Before him are G. E. Moore (1873), A. S. Neill (1883), J. L. Austin (1911), Anne Conway (1631), E. H. Carr (1892), and Thomas Hill Green (1836). After him are John of Salisbury (1110), Roger Scruton (1944), Alasdair MacIntyre (1929), H. L. A. Hart (1907), John Gray (1948), and Adam Ferguson (1723).
G. E. Moore
1873 - 1958
HPI: 70.00
Rank: 19
A. S. Neill
1883 - 1973
HPI: 68.40
Rank: 20
J. L. Austin
1911 - 1960
HPI: 68.39
Rank: 21
Anne Conway
1631 - 1679
HPI: 68.32
Rank: 22
E. H. Carr
1892 - 1982
HPI: 68.14
Rank: 23
Thomas Hill Green
1836 - 1882
HPI: 68.05
Rank: 24
Francis Hutcheson
1694 - 1746
HPI: 67.91
Rank: 25
John of Salisbury
1110 - 1180
HPI: 67.49
Rank: 26
Roger Scruton
1944 - 2020
HPI: 67.07
Rank: 27
Alasdair MacIntyre
1929 - 2025
HPI: 67.03
Rank: 28
H. L. A. Hart
1907 - 1992
HPI: 66.86
Rank: 29
John Gray
1948 - Present
HPI: 66.69
Rank: 30
Adam Ferguson
1723 - 1816
HPI: 66.28
Rank: 31