Francis Hutcheson (1694-1746), Irish-Scottish philosopher, born in County Down, Ireland, and educated at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. After a short period of preaching as a Presbyterian minister, he opened a private academy in Dublin in 1719. Here he wrote the works on which his reputation is based, notably Inquiry Concerning Beauty, Order, Harmony, and Design (1725), Inquiry Concerning Moral Good and Evil (1725), Essay on the Nature and Conduct of the Passions and Affections (1728), and Illustrations upon the Moral Sense (1728). In 1729 he returned to Glasgow to assume the post of professor of moral philosophy at the university and remained there until his death.

Hutcheson made contributions to the fields of logic, aesthetics, and epistemology that are historically interesting as links between the thought of the English philosopher John Locke and that of the Scottish philosophers, including David Hume. However, Hutcheson's main importance lies in his ethical system which is, to a large extent, similar to that of the English philosopher Anthony Ashley Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury. Hutcheson postulated a “moral sense” that instinctively serves as a judge of the good; and a principle of conduct, “calm benevolence”, that is the basis for human behaviour, as opposed to simple self-interest. In his theory that proper action is only that which will generally benefit society, Hutcheson anticipated utilitarianism, even foreseeing the key phrase “the greatest happiness for the greatest number”. His System of Moral Philosophy was published posthumously in 1755.