Edinburgh Review
Trademark
UnclaimedA title used by several Scottish intellectual and cultural review magazines, most notably the influential liberal periodical published from 1802 to 1929.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Edinburgh Review is not a single continuously operating modern company or magazine, but a title associated with several distinct Scottish intellectual and cultural periodicals. The name is most strongly identified with the third Edinburgh Review, founded in 1802 and published until 1929. That long-running quarterly became one of the most influential British reviews of the nineteenth century, combining literary criticism, political commentary, book reviewing, and advocacy of liberal and Whig reform. Its importance arose from the breadth of its coverage, the prominence of its contributors, and its role in shaping public debate during the Romantic and early Victorian periods. The first Edinburgh Review appeared in 1755 under the auspices of the Select Society, a group of Scottish writers and thinkers associated with the intellectual culture of the Scottish Enlightenment. Its stated purpose was to survey books published in Scotland and to discuss important works published elsewhere. The second and final issue, released in March 1756, included Adam Smith's review of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Discourse on Inequality. The venture ended after opposition from the Popular Party within the Church of Scotland targeted its Moderate-aligned editors. A later Edinburgh Magazine and Review ran monthly from 1773 to 1776, pursuing related literary and intellectual aims but representing a separate short-lived publication. The best-known Edinburgh Review began on 10 October 1802. Its founders were Francis Jeffrey, Sydney Smith, Henry Brougham, and Francis Horner, while the publisher was Archibald Constable. Sydney Smith edited the first issue, and Francis Jeffrey became the periodical's first permanent editor. The magazine was issued quarterly and developed a forceful editorial identity. It supported the Whig party, liberal politics, political reform, and the circulation of serious literary and scholarly criticism. Its principal political rival was the Tory-oriented Quarterly Review. The Edinburgh Review consequently became part of the periodical press through which nineteenth-century political, literary, and intellectual conflicts were debated. The periodical promoted Romanticism in important respects, although its criticism was not uniformly sympathetic to Romantic writers. It became particularly well known for attacks on the Lake Poets, including William Wordsworth. Its mixture of literary authority, political argument, and sometimes severe reviewing made it an influential arbiter of taste and opinion. The title used the Latin motto "judex damnatur cum nocens absolvitur," meaning that the judge is condemned when the guilty person is acquitted. At one stage it was owned by John Stewart; his wife, Louisa Hooper Stewart, was an early advocate of women's suffrage and had been educated at Newington Academy for Girls. The historic Edinburgh Review ceased publication in 1929. The title was revived in a different context by the New Edinburgh Review, a Scottish cultural magazine founded in 1969 and published by the Edinburgh University Student Publications Board. The New Edinburgh Review was associated with student and independent intellectual publishing and became known for combining cultural criticism with political and philosophical discussion. Its 1974 issues on Antonio Gramsci, supervised by C. K. Maisels, were particularly noted. In 1984, beginning with combined issue 67/68, the magazine adopted the shorter title Edinburgh Review and used the motto "To gather all the rays of culture into one." This later Edinburgh Review continued as a cultural review magazine until 2014. From 2007 to 2012 it participated in the Eurozine network. Because the name covers several separate publications with different publishers, editors, periods, and institutional settings, it is best understood as a historical magazine title rather than as a conventional corporate brand.
History
The name Edinburgh Review has been used for several different Scottish intellectual and cultural magazines. The first appeared in 1755 and was initiated by the Select Society, a group of Scottish men of letters connected with the Scottish Enlightenment. Its project was to survey books published in Scotland over a six-month period and to discuss significant works published elsewhere. The journal sought to encourage learning and intellectual achievement in Scotland. It lasted for only two issues. The second issue, published in March 1756, included Adam Smith's discussion of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Discourse on Inequality. Political and ecclesiastical opposition to the Moderate editors, particularly from the Popular Party in the Church of Scotland, contributed to the publication's early collapse. A separate Edinburgh Magazine and Review appeared monthly from 1773 to 1776. Although its purposes resembled those of the earlier review, it was another short-lived publication rather than a direct uninterrupted continuation. The title's most consequential incarnation began on 10 October 1802. Francis Jeffrey, Sydney Smith, Henry Brougham, and Francis Horner founded the magazine, and Archibald Constable served as publisher. Smith edited the inaugural issue, after which Jeffrey became the first permanent editor. The periodical was published quarterly and developed into a major forum for British literary criticism, political argument, and book reviewing. It was aligned with the Whig party and broader liberal reform, placing it in opposition to the Tory-oriented Quarterly Review. The 1802 review was influential because it joined literary judgment to political and social commentary. It supported aspects of Romanticism but could also be sharply hostile toward leading Romantic poets, especially the Lake Poets and William Wordsworth. This combination of liberal politics, wide-ranging scholarship, and aggressive criticism made the magazine an important force in nineteenth-century British periodical culture. Its Latin motto, taken from Publilius Syrus, stated that the judge is condemned when the guilty person is acquitted. At one stage the title was owned by John Stewart. His wife, Louisa Hooper Stewart, was an early supporter of women's suffrage and had attended Newington Academy for Girls. The historic periodical continued until 1929. A new Scottish cultural magazine, the New Edinburgh Review, was founded in 1969 and published by the Edinburgh University Student Publications Board. It developed within a student and independent publishing environment and addressed literary, political, and philosophical subjects. Its 1974 issues on Antonio Gramsci, supervised by C. K. Maisels, became especially well known. James Campbell edited fifteen issues between 1978 and 1982; other editors included David Cubitt, Julian Pollock, Brian Torode, Henry Drucker, and Owen Dudley Edwards. From combined issue 67/68 in 1984, the magazine used the title Edinburgh Review. Its stated motto was "To gather all the rays of culture into one." Editors during this later phase included Peter Kravitz, Murdo Macdonald, Robert Alan Jamieson, Gavin Wallace, Sophy Dale, and Frank Kuppner. The magazine joined the Eurozine network from February 2007 until December 2012 and ultimately ceased publication in 2014. The different publications sharing the name should therefore be treated as distinct historical entities linked by title and subject matter, rather than as one uninterrupted business.
- 2014
Later Edinburgh Review ceases publication
[1]The modern Scottish cultural review ends its run.
- 2012
Eurozine partnership ends
[1]The magazine's participation in the Eurozine network concludes in December.
- 2007
The later review joins Eurozine
[1]Edinburgh Review becomes a member of the Eurozine network.
- 1984
New Edinburgh Review becomes Edinburgh Review
[1]The magazine adopts the shorter title from combined issue 67/68 and uses a new cultural motto.
- 1974
Gramsci issues attract attention
[1]Issues supervised by C. K. Maisels examine the philosophy of Antonio Gramsci.
- 1969
New Edinburgh Review is founded
[1]A new Scottish cultural magazine is established by the Edinburgh University Student Publications Board.
- 1929
The historic review ceases publication
[1]The influential 1802 Edinburgh Review ends after more than a century of publication.
- 1802
The major Edinburgh Review is launched
[1]Jeffrey, Smith, Brougham, and Horner establish the long-running quarterly, published by Archibald Constable.
- 1776
Edinburgh Magazine and Review ends
[1]The short-lived magazine completes its publication run.
- 1773
Edinburgh Magazine and Review begins
[1]A separate monthly magazine with related intellectual aims begins publication.
Products and positioning
A serious intellectual review title associated with literary criticism, political commentary, cultural debate, and Scottish publishing. The 1802–1929 periodical was positioned as a leading liberal and Whig review, while the later New Edinburgh Review and Edinburgh Review emphasized independent Scottish cultural and intellectual discussion.
Intellectual review · 1755
Edinburgh Review (1755–1756)
The first magazine to use the title was a Select Society publication devoted to reviewing books issued in Scotland and discussing notable works from elsewhere. It represented the Scottish Enlightenment's interest in education, scholarship, and public improvement. Its brief run comprised two issues, with the second featuring Adam Smith's review of Rousseau's Discourse on Inequality.
Monthly magazine · 1773
Edinburgh Magazine and Review
A separate monthly periodical published from 1773 to 1776. It pursued literary and intellectual review in a form related to the earlier Edinburgh Review, but it was not a continuous edition of the 1755 publication.
Literary and political review · 1802
Edinburgh Review (1802–1929)
The best-known incarnation of the title was a quarterly British review founded by Jeffrey, Smith, Brougham, and Horner and published by Archibald Constable. It covered literature, politics, books, and public affairs, supported Whig and liberal reform, and became a major force in nineteenth-century British intellectual culture.
Scottish cultural magazine · 1969
New Edinburgh Review
Founded in 1969 by the Edinburgh University Student Publications Board, this later magazine offered independent Scottish cultural, literary, political, and philosophical criticism. It was particularly noted for its 1974 discussion of Antonio Gramsci.
Cultural review magazine · 1984
Edinburgh Review (1984–2014)
From 1984, the New Edinburgh Review used the shorter Edinburgh Review title and the motto "To gather all the rays of culture into one." The publication continued as a Scottish cultural review and participated in the Eurozine network between 2007 and 2012 before ending in 2014.
Brand decisions
2007
Participation in the Eurozine networkStrategyBackground
The later Edinburgh Review operated as an independent cultural review with an international intellectual orientation.
Action taken
It joined the Eurozine network and remained associated with it through December 2012.
Aftermath
The network relationship ended in 2012; the magazine continued until 2014.
1984
Adoption of the Edinburgh Review titleStrategyBackground
The publication had operated as the New Edinburgh Review since 1969 and reached combined issue 67/68 in 1984.
Action taken
It adopted the shorter Edinburgh Review name and introduced the motto "To gather all the rays of culture into one."
Aftermath
The magazine continued under the Edinburgh Review title until 2014.
Sources1 sources
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