The ''Edinburgh Review'' is the title of four distinct intellectual and cultural

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

s. The best known, longest-lasting, and most influential of the four was the third, which was published regularly from 1802 to 1929.

''Edinburgh Review'', 1755–1756

The first ''Edinburgh Review'' was a short-lived venture initiated in 1755 by the Select Society, a group of Scottish men of letters concerned with the Enlightenment goals of social and intellectual improvement. According to the preface of the inaugural issue, the journal's purpose was to "demonstrate 'the progressive state of learning in this country' and thereby to incite Scots 'to a more eager pursuit of learning, to distinguish themselves, and to do honour to their country.'" As a means to these ends, it would "''give a full account'' of all books published in Scotland within the compass of half a year; and ... take some notice of such books published elsewhere, as are most read in this country, or seem to have any title to draw the public attention." Among the most notable of the foreign publications it observed was

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Republic of Geneva, Genevan philosopher (''philosophes, philosophe''), writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment through ...

's '' Discourse on Inequality'', which

Adam Smith Adam Smith (baptised 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the field of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. Seen by some as the "father of economics"——— or ...

reviewed in the journal's second and final issue, published in March 1756. Its premature folding was due in large part to the partisan attacks the Moderate editors received from their opponents in the Church of Scotland, the Popular Party.

''Edinburgh Magazine and Review'', 1773–1776

A short-lived magazine with similar purposes, '' Edinburgh Magazine and Review'', was published monthly between 1773 and 1776.

''Edinburgh Review'', 1802–1929

The third ''Edinburgh Review'' became one of the most influential British magazines of the 19th century. It promoted

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

and Whig politics.. (It was also, however, notoriously critical of some major Romantic poetry.) Started on 10 October 1802 by Francis Jeffrey, Sydney Smith, Henry Brougham, and Francis Horner, it was published by Archibald Constable in quarterly issues until 1929. It began as a literary and political review. Under its first permanent editor, Francis Jeffrey (the first issue was edited by Sydney Smith), it was a strong supporter of the Whig party and liberal politics, and regularly called for political reform. Its main rival was the '' Quarterly Review'' which supported the Tories. The magazine was also noted for its attacks on the Lake Poets, particularly

William Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poetry, Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romanticism, Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication ''Lyrical Balla ...

. It was owned at one point by John Stewart, whose wife Louisa Hooper Stewart (1818–1918) was an early advocate of

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...

, having been educated at the Quaker school of Newington Academy for Girls. It took its

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

motto ' ("the judge is condemned when the guilty is acquitted") from Publilius Syrus. The magazine ceased publication in 1929.

Notable contributors to the third ''Edinburgh Review''

''New Edinburgh Review'' (1969–1984) and ''Edinburgh Review'' (1984–2014)

The Scottish cultural magazine ''New Edinburgh Review'' was founded in 1969. It was published by Edinburgh University Student Publications Board (EUSPB). The most famous issues of the ''New Edinburgh Review'' were the 1974 issues, supervised by C.K. Maisels, that discussed the philosophy of

Antonio Gramsci Antonio Francesco Gramsci ( , ; ; 22 January 1891 – 27 April 1937) was an Italian Marxist philosophy, Marxist philosopher, Linguistics, linguist, journalist, writer, and politician. He wrote on philosophy, Political philosophy, political the ...

. James Campbell edited fifteen issues of the magazine between 1978 and 1982. Other editors included David Cubitt, Julian Pollock, Brian Torode, Henry Drucker and Owen Dudley Edwards. Notable contributors included: In 1984 (from the combined issue 67/68) the magazine adopted the title ''Edinburgh Review'', along with the motto ''To gather all the rays of culture into one''. From 2007 to 2012 it was part of the

Eurozine ''Eurozine '' is a network of European cultural magazines based in Vienna, linking up more than 90 partner journals and just as many associated magazines and institutions from nearly all European countries. ''Eurozine'' is also an online magazin ...

network. Editors of ''Edinburgh Review'' included Murdo Macdonald, Peter Kravitz, Robert Alan Jamieson, Gavin Wallace, Sophy Dale and Frank Kuppner. Notable contributors included:

Notes

External links

Facsimile of first edition
{{Authority control Literary magazines published in Scotland Quarterly magazines published in the United Kingdom Book review magazines Defunct literary magazines published in the United Kingdom History of Edinburgh Magazines established in 1802 Magazines disestablished in 1929 Magazines established in 1984 Mass media in Edinburgh