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They framed Hinduism as a reasonable religion similar to Christianity, but liable to degeneration under the influence of superstition and priestcraft. To Jones, Hinduism was an ancient religion of a philosophical character but ultimately one of human creation, unlike Christianity. Indeed, Halhed even suggested that "Gentoo" religion was the source of the Mosaical religion - less Moses the Egyptian than Moses the Brahmin. [Extracted from the article]

We are living through a cultural moment in which strident criticisms are being made of the ethical validity and utility of the discipline of the history of political thought (H.P.T.). In Whatmore, the subject has a champion who makes a bold case for H.P.T.'s importance, defends it against often mistaken criticisms, yet also incorporates the productive elements of recent critiques. Whatmore's confidence in H.P.T.'s ability to inform current political thinking stems from the tenets that "past generations have faced comparable predicaments" and past generations have "experienced everything, and nothing at all is new" (8). [Extracted from the article]

David Hume (1711–1776) believed a 'confederacy of authors', brought together by the notoriously pugnacious William Warburton (1698–1779), were his most consistent and scurrilous critics. Warburton and his 'School' were Hume's bêtes noires and embodied so much of what he fought against. Only there is reason to believe that the 'Warburtonian School' was more a useful fiction than a historical reality. The following deep dive into Humeana and the 'stuff of anecdote' digs up substantial conclusions about Hume's philosophical project and context. Any glorifying picture of Hume admirably ignoring sustained 'Warburtonian' name-calling is not an accurate description of the early reception of his writings. Hume did respond – at least, occasionally, privately and publicly. Moreover, the 'Warburtonian School' does not seem to exist – at least, it did not exist if it is taken to refer to a coherent group of writers, numbering more than two, concerned with attacking Hume. The response to Hume of 'Warburtonians' who can be identified was varied, disparate, and often positive. Warburton even came to like Hume's historical writings. Hume's claim that such a School existed may have led to the post hoc creation of the School in the minds of late eighteenth- and nineteenth-century commentators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Sagar explains in the final chapter, Smith was concerned about corruption within advanced European societies but of the political rather than moral kind. Sagar encourages Smith researchers to "take a deeper look at what appears familiar" and to keep in mind that Smith was a subtle, sophisticated, and deeply historical thinker (p. 188). [Extracted from the article]