Hutcheson's epistolary offerings include letters published in journals in England, Ireland, and Netherlands. These letters and writings exhibit his polemical skills in controversy, his differences with Presbyterian orthodoxy, his preoccupation with religious and intellectual liberty, and his loyalty and lasting affection for his friends.

"Francis Hutcheson is often described as the father of the Scottish Enlightenment, and in this modern edition, never-before-published personal letters reveal the loyalty and lasting affection Hutcheson had for his friends, and his published correspondence and speeches bring to light his polemical skills in controversy and his preoccupation with religious and intellectual liberty"--