Adam Ferguson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adam Ferguson
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Adam Ferguson as painted by Joshua Reynolds in 1782
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| Born | 20 June 1723 Logierait, Perthshire, Scotland
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| Died | 22 February 1816 (aged 92) |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh University of St Andrews |
| Era | 18th-century philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Scottish Common Sense Realism Scottish Enlightenment |
| Institutions | University of Edinburgh |
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Main interests
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Sociology, political philosophy, ethics, history |
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Influences
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Influenced
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Adam Ferguson (born June 20, 1723 – died February 22, 1816) was an important Scottish philosopher and historian. He was a key thinker during the period known as the Scottish Enlightenment, a time when many new ideas in philosophy, science, and economics came from Scotland.
Ferguson is sometimes called "the father of modern sociology" because of his early work in studying how societies develop. He believed that traditional communities, like those in the Scottish Highlands, helped people become brave and loyal. However, he worried that modern commercial societies, focused on business and money, might make people weaker and less caring about their community. His most famous book is An Essay on the History of Civil Society.
Biography
Adam Ferguson was born in Logierait, Perthshire, Scotland. He went to school there and later studied at the University of Edinburgh and the University of St Andrews.
In 1745, he became a deputy chaplain (a religious leader) for a Scottish army regiment called the Black Watch. He was allowed to do this even though he hadn't finished all his studies, because he knew Gaelic. He was with the regiment during the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745. He became the main chaplain in 1746 and stayed with the army until 1754.
After leaving the army, Ferguson decided to focus on writing and studying. He lived in Leipzig for a while before returning to Edinburgh. In 1757, he took over from David Hume as the librarian for the Faculty of Advocates. Later, he became a professor at the University of Edinburgh. First, he taught natural philosophy (which included science), and then he moved to teaching "pneumatics" (the study of the mind) and moral philosophy (the study of right and wrong).
In 1767, Ferguson published his famous book, An Essay on the History of Civil Society. This book was very popular and was translated into many different languages. He also traveled to Europe and met the famous writer Voltaire.
Ferguson wrote about the American Revolution in 1776, sharing his views that supported the British government. In 1778, he was part of the Carlisle Peace Commission. This group tried to make a deal with the American colonies that were fighting for their independence, but they were not successful.
In 1780, he wrote a long article about "History" for the second edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, a very important encyclopedia.
His book, History of the Progress and Termination of the Roman Republic, came out in 1783. It became very popular. Ferguson believed that studying the history of the Roman Republic could teach important lessons about right and wrong, and about how governments should work. He used his own military experience to help him write parts of the book.
Ferguson retired from teaching in 1785. He then spent his time revising his lectures, which he published in 1792 as Principles of Moral and Political Science.
When he was 70 years old, Ferguson traveled to Italy and other European cities. He was honored by many learned societies (groups of scholars). He spent his last years living in different places in Scotland and died in St Andrews on February 22, 1816. He is buried in the churchyard of St Andrews Cathedral.
Ethics
Adam Ferguson believed that humans are naturally social beings. He thought that our moral rules and ideas come from how we live together in society. He also believed that people are always trying to improve themselves and reach a state of "perfection."
Ferguson tried to combine different ideas about morals. He agreed with thinkers like Thomas Hobbes and David Hume that self-interest (looking out for yourself) is important, especially for survival. He also included ideas from Francis Hutcheson (about caring for everyone) and Adam Smith (about feeling sympathy for others). Ferguson saw these as ways to help society work, but he believed they all led to the higher goal of human perfection.
In terms of government, Ferguson followed the ideas of Montesquieu. He strongly supported liberty and free government, where people have rights and can participate. He worried that if a country expanded too much, it could lose its freedom. However, he thought that having elected representatives could help prevent a large state from becoming unfair or tyrannical.
Social thought
Ferguson's book, An Essay on the History of Civil Society (1767), looked at how modern societies, focused on business, might lose important community values. He believed that things like conflict, play, taking part in politics, and military bravery were important for good citizenship.
He also stressed the idea of "fellow-feeling," which means being able to understand and share the feelings of others. Like his friends Adam Smith and David Hume, Ferguson thought that good things could happen in society even when many individuals act without a central plan. This is called "spontaneous order."
Ferguson saw history as having two parts: natural history (created by God) and social history (made by humans). He believed that humans are meant to make progress in social history, even though there might be occasional setbacks. He also thought that medieval chivalry (the code of knights) showed ideal qualities for men, like inner virtue and courtesy.
Ferguson was a strong supporter of the Idea of Progress, which is the belief that society can always improve. He thought that a commercial society, where people pursue their own interests, could lead to progress. But he also worried that this focus on money could make people less virtuous, possibly leading to a decline, similar to what happened to ancient Rome. As a religious person, Ferguson believed that both progress and human free will were part of God's plan. He thought that even mistakes could help humanity learn and move closer to a perfect state, even if true perfection is never fully reached.
Ferguson was influenced by classical writers like Tacitus and by thinkers like Niccolò Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes. He also learned a lot from his friends in Edinburgh, including David Hume and Adam Smith. Ferguson believed that laws are important for civilization because they give us security and justice, even if they limit some individual freedoms. He warned that social chaos often leads to a strong, controlling government. People in a civil society give up some of their freedom to do whatever they want in exchange for safety and justice.
While Adam Smith focused on money and wealth as the main drivers of growth, Ferguson thought that new ideas and technical improvements were more important. Ferguson's criticisms of commercial society were stronger than Smith's and influenced later thinkers like Hegel and Karl Marx. His Essay also helped shape the ideas of republicanism held by the American Founding Fathers.
Personal life
Adam Ferguson married Katherine Burnett in 1767. They had seven children. One of their sons, Adam Ferguson (British Army officer), became a close friend of the famous writer Sir Walter Scott.
In 1780, Ferguson had a stroke, but he fully recovered. After this, he became a vegetarian for the rest of his life. He was also very close friends with Joseph Black, a famous chemist.
Main works
- An Essay on the History of Civil Society (1767)
- The History of the Progress and Termination of the Roman Republic (1783)
- Principles of Moral and Political Science; being chiefly a retrospect of lectures delivered in the College of Edinburgh (1792)
- Institutes of Moral Philosophy (1769)
- Reflections Previous to the Establishment of a Militia (1756)
Images for kids
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Detail of Adam Ferguson's grave
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The grave of Adam Ferguson, St Andrews Cathedral churchyard
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Letter from George Washington to Adam Ferguson about a passport request, June 9, 1778. Ferguson was part of the Carlisle Peace Commission trying to negotiate with the American colonies.
See also
In Spanish: Adam Ferguson para niños
