John Millar (philosopher) facts for kids
John Millar (born June 22, 1735 – died May 30, 1801) was a Scottish thinker, historian, and a law professor. He taught Civil Law at the University of Glasgow from 1761 to 1800. He was a very important person during the Scottish Enlightenment.
Life and Work
John Millar was born in Shotts, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He first learned from his uncle. Later, he went to the Old Grammar School of Hamilton. He then studied at the University of Glasgow. There, he became a key follower of Adam Smith, who is known as the founder of modern economics.
In the 1750s, Millar worked as a tutor for Henry Home, Lord Kames. In 1760, he became a lawyer. From 1761 to 1800, Millar was a professor of Civil Law at Glasgow University. His lectures were very famous across the country. His friends and supporters included Adam Smith, Lord Kames, and David Hume. In 1772, Millar was chosen to be the Clerk of the University of Glasgow's Senate.
Millar wrote a book called Origin of the Distinction of Ranks, published in 1778. In this book, he suggested that a country's economic system shapes all its social relations. This includes how men and women interact. This idea later became known as economic determinism. It greatly influenced Marxism, a political and economic theory. One expert, Werner Sombart, called Millar's book "one of the best and most complete sociologies that we possess."
His book Historical View of the English Government, started in 1787, was an important history of England. It showed how history writing was developing. Millar compared his work with other historians. He focused on how social and economic factors shaped political systems. This made his work different from earlier histories, which were often based more on ideas than on facts.
His Family
Millar faced sadness in his family life. He lost a daughter in 1791 and his wife in 1795. His oldest son, also named John, was a promising young lawyer. He wrote a book about insurance law in 1787. Sadly, he moved to America in 1795 due to poor health and died there soon after.
John Millar had three sons and six daughters who lived longer than him. One son, James, became a mathematics professor at Glasgow. Another son, William, joined the Royal Artillery. One daughter, Agnes, married James Mylne, a philosophy professor at Glasgow. Another daughter, Margaret, was the mother of Allan Thomson, who became a surgery professor. Millar left his writings to his oldest son, Professor Mylne, and his nephew, John Craig. Some of these writings were published in 1803.
Remembering John Millar
In 1985, the John Millar Chair of Law was created at the University of Glasgow. This was done to honor his memory and his contributions to law.
Main Books
- Observations concerning the Distinction of Ranks in Society, 1771.
- An Historical View of the English Government, 1787.
- An Historical View of the English Government from the Settlement of the Saxons in Britain to the Revolution in 1688. To which are subjoined some Dissertations Connected with the History of the Government from the Revolution to the Present Time, 3rd ed., edited by J. Mylne & J. Craig, 4 vols, Edinburgh, 1803.
- (Anon.), Letters of Crito on the causes, objects, and consequences, of the present war, 1796.
