Scotland is a small nation that has exerted an outsized influence on the modern world, an influence ranging from politics and economics, to university disciplines, the arts, and even the study of literature. But Scotland also bears a fascinating history within Britain, a history of influence, resistance, and self reflection. The guest of this episode of the BYU Humanities Center Podcast is Professor Cairns Craig, the Glucksman Chair of Irish and Scottish Studies at the University of Aberdeen. Over a long and distinguished career, Professor Craig has written widely about Scottish literature, culture and history. He’s the author most recently of The Wealth of the Nation: Scotland, Culture, and Independence published in 2018 by Edinburg University Press. Professor Craig talked to us about what Scotland’s rich history can teach us about the modern world and about the role of the arts in forming our identities, culturally and even nationally.
Interview by Matthew Wickman, Founding Director, BYU Humanities Center
Produced and Edited by Brooke Browne and Sam Jacob