Niall Ferguson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Niall Ferguson
Ferguson in 2017
Born	Niall Campbell Ferguson (1964-04-18) 18 April 1964 (age 61) Glasgow, Scotland
Citizenship	United Kingdom United States
Education	Magdalen College, Oxford (MA, DPhil) University of Hamburg
Notable work	Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World (2003) Civilisation: the West and the Rest (2011)
Spouse(s)	Sue Douglas ​ ​ (m. 1994; div. 2011)​ Ayaan Hirsi Ali ​ (m. 2011)​
Children	5
Scientific career
Institutions	University of Cambridge University of Oxford New York University Harvard University London School of Economics Hoover Institution, Stanford University
Thesis	Business and Politics in the German Inflation (1989)
Doctoral advisor	Norman Stone
Doctoral students	Tyler Goodspeed
Influences	A. J. P. Taylor

Sir Niall Campbell Ferguson (born April 18, 1964) is a well-known historian from Britain and America. He works at important research centers like the Hoover Institution and Harvard University. Before this, he taught history at many famous universities, including Harvard, the London School of Economics, and Oxford. He also helped start the University of Austin.

Ferguson writes and gives talks about international history, economic history, and the history of the British Empire. He believes the British Empire had many positive effects. In 2004, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Ferguson has created and presented several TV shows, including The Ascent of Money, which won an International Emmy Award for Best Documentary in 2009. In 2024, King Charles III knighted him for his contributions to literature.

Ferguson has also written for many newspapers and magazines, such as Bloomberg Opinion, The Spectator, and The Daily Mail. He has written articles for academic journals like Foreign Affairs. He is often described as a conservative thinker and has said he supports leaders like Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.

Early Life and Education

Ferguson was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on April 18, 1964. His father was a doctor, and his mother was a physics teacher. He grew up near the Ibrox Park football stadium in Glasgow and went to The Glasgow Academy. He was raised without a religion but now attends church and encourages his children to learn about religion. He believes that religion is important for society and for making good choices.

Ferguson says his father taught him to be disciplined and value hard work. His mother encouraged his creative side. His grandfather, who was a journalist, inspired him to write. Ferguson decided to study history at university because he admired the historian A. J. P. Taylor and was influenced by Leo Tolstoy's thoughts on history in War and Peace.

Studying at Oxford

Ferguson earned a top scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford. While there, he was involved in student films, played music, and edited a student magazine. He became friends with Andrew Sullivan, who shared his interest in politics and music. By 1982, he supported the ideas of Margaret Thatcher. In 1985, he graduated with a top degree in history from Oxford. He also studied in Germany at the University of Hamburg from 1986 to 1988. He received his PhD from Oxford in 1989. His PhD paper was about business and politics during the German inflation period from 1914 to 1924.

Academic Career and Work

In 1989, Ferguson began working as a research fellow at Christ's College, Cambridge. He then taught at Peterhouse, Cambridge and Jesus College, Oxford. In 2000, he became a professor of political and financial history at Oxford. Later, he became a professor at New York University and Harvard University. From 2010 to 2011, he held a special history chair at the London School of Economics. In 2016, Ferguson moved from Harvard to become a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.

In 2021, he helped found the University of Austin, a new private college. He said he started it because he felt that "higher education is broken." The university was approved to offer degrees in late 2023. Ferguson has also received honorary degrees from several universities around the world. In 2010, he advised the UK education secretary on developing a new history curriculum for schools.

Business Ventures

In 2000, Ferguson helped start Boxmind, a company focused on educational technology. In 2006, he created Chimerica Media Ltd., a TV production company in London. He also worked as an investment consultant for GLG Partners, advising them on global risks and economic trends related to investments.

Public Commentary and Documentaries

Ferguson speaking at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship in London, 2023

Ferguson has written regularly for British newspapers and magazines since the 1980s. He was a lead writer for The Daily Telegraph and a book reviewer for The Daily Mail. He also wrote columns for The Sunday Telegraph and Los Angeles Times. From 2008 to 2012, he wrote for Newsweek.

Since 2015, Ferguson has written a weekly column for The Sunday Times and The Boston Globe. His TV series, The Ascent of Money, won an Emmy award in 2009. In 2011, his company Chimerica Media released a documentary called Kissinger, which won an award at the New York Film Festival. Ferguson has also spoken out against "cancel culture" in universities, saying that "Wokeism has gone from being a fringe fashion to be the dominant ideology of the universities."

Television Documentaries

• Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World (2003)
• American Colossus (2004)
• The War of the World (2006)
• The Ascent of Money (2008)
• Civilization: Is the West History? (2011)
• Kissinger (2011)
• China: Triumph and Turmoil (2012)
• The Pity of War (2014)
• Networld (2020)

BBC Reith Lectures

Niall Ferguson recording his 2012 BBC Reith Lecture at Gresham College.

In 2012, Niall Ferguson presented the annual Reith Lectures for the BBC. These four lectures, titled The Rule of Law and its Enemies, explored how human-made rules and systems affect economies and politics.

In his first lecture, The Human Hive, Ferguson argued that governments should be more open about their finances. He suggested they should publish clear accounts of their assets and debts, similar to how businesses do. He also said that young voters should support government spending cuts to avoid paying for the spending of older generations later on.

The second lecture, The Darwinian Economy, looked at the causes of the 2008 financial crisis. Ferguson questioned whether financial rules, meant to fix problems, might actually be part of the problem themselves. The Landscape of Law was the third lecture, where he compared different legal systems and wondered if the legal system in English-speaking countries was getting worse.

The final lecture, Civil and Uncivil Societies, focused on groups and organizations outside of government that help preserve knowledge and values. Ferguson asked if modern governments are harming these groups in Western countries. He also explored how non-Western societies can build strong community groups. The lectures were broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service.

Key Books and Ideas

Ferguson has written many influential books that explore different aspects of history and economics.

The Cash Nexus

In his 2001 book, The Cash Nexus, Ferguson argued against the popular idea that "money makes the world go 'round." He suggested that human actions throughout history are driven by much more than just money.

Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World

In this 2003 book, Ferguson re-examined the British Empire. He presented it as a major force that helped modernize the world. He argued that the Empire brought lasting changes and helped spread globalization through inventions like the steam engine and telegraph. While acknowledging the Empire's flaws, such as slavery and the displacement of native peoples, Ferguson argued that it was better than other empires of its time, like the German or Japanese empires. He also said that the British Empire promoted free trade, free movement of money, and the end of slavery. It also invested a lot in modern communication networks and spread the rule of law. This book was also made into a TV series.

Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire

In his 2005 book, Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire, Ferguson suggested that the United States wants to spread free markets, the rule of law, and democracy around the world. However, he argued that the U.S. avoids making long-term commitments of people and money needed to solve conflicts in struggling countries. He called the United States an "empire in denial" because it doesn't fully recognize its global responsibilities.

War of the World

Published in 2006, War of the World explored the reasons behind the wars and genocides of the 20th century. Ferguson argued that a mix of economic instability, weakening empires, and violence driven by race or ethnicity led to what he called "History's Age of Hatred." The New York Times Book Review named it one of the 100 Notable Books of the Year in 2006. Ferguson also explored the idea that the 20th century, despite being very violent, also saw amazing economic progress. This book also had a TV series.

The Ascent of Money

In this 2008 book, The Ascent of Money, Ferguson looked at the history of money, credit, and banking. He predicted a financial crisis because the world economy, especially the United States, was using too much credit. He pointed to the relationship between China and the U.S., which he called Chimerica, where a lot of savings from Asia helped create the subprime mortgage crisis with easy money.

Civilization

Published in 2011, Civilization: The West and the Rest asks a big question: "Why did a few small countries in Western Europe, starting around 1500, come to control the rest of the world?" Ferguson believes this happened because the West developed six "killer apps" or key advantages that were largely missing elsewhere in 1500. These were:

• competition
• the scientific method
• the rule of law
• modern medicine
• consumerism
• the Protestant work ethic

Ferguson argued that the West's "killer apps" allowed it to succeed. For example, competition among European merchants created more wealth than the strict society of Qing China. He also suggested that the modern West might be losing its edge, and the future could belong to Asian nations like China, which have adopted some of these "killer apps." A related TV series, Civilization: Is the West History?, was broadcast in 2011.

Kissinger: 1923–1968: The Idealist

Kissinger The Idealist, published in 2015, is the first part of a biography about Henry Kissinger, a former American Secretary of State. Ferguson used Kissinger's private papers for the book. It covers Kissinger's life from being a refugee fleeing Nazi Germany in 1938, serving in World War II, and studying at Harvard University. The book explores Kissinger's early views on the Vietnam War and his efforts to negotiate peace.

The Square and the Tower

In his 2018 book, The Square and the Tower, Ferguson suggested that history can be understood by looking at how human networks evolve. He argued that humans are naturally wired to connect in networks. The title refers to a shift from old, hierarchical "tower" networks to more open, "square" connections between people.

Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe

In this book, Ferguson explores the history of disasters around the world. Critics have called the book insightful and brilliant, noting Ferguson's knowledge of fields like medical history and probability theory.

Views and Research

Ferguson is often called a conservative historian. However, he has described himself as a "classic Scottish Enlightenment liberal." He believes that some people on the political left enjoy being provoked by his views.

World War I Analysis

In 1998, Ferguson published The Pity of War: Explaining World War One. In this book, he challenged common beliefs about World War I. He controversially suggested that it might have been better for Europe if Britain had not joined the war in 1914, which could have allowed Germany to win.

Ferguson argued that Britain's decision to get involved stopped Germany from winning early in the war. He disagreed with historians who claimed that the German Empire deliberately started an aggressive war in 1914. Instead, Ferguson believed Germany fought a preventive war, partly forced by careless British diplomacy. He accused the British foreign secretary, Sir Edward Grey, of being unclear about whether Britain would join the war, which confused Germany.

Ferguson also argued that the origins of National Socialism could not be traced back to Imperial Germany, but only to World War I and its aftermath. He used "counterfactual history" in the book, imagining what might have happened if things had been different. For example, he suggested that if Germany had won World War I, Europe might have become a peaceful, democratic continent, similar to the European Union today, and millions of lives could have been saved.

Some historians have criticized Ferguson's views on World War I. For example, Gerhard Weinberg argued that Ferguson ignored Germany's global ambitions and that allowing Germany to defeat France and Russia would have been dangerous for Britain.

The Rothschild Family

Ferguson wrote two books about the famous Rothschild family: The House of Rothschild: Volume 1: Money's Prophets: 1798–1848 and The House of Rothschild: Volume 2: The World's Banker: 1849–1999. These books were based on his own research of historical documents. They won awards and were praised by many historians for their detailed research.

Counterfactual History Approach

Ferguson sometimes uses counterfactual history, which means imagining alternative outcomes to historical events. He edited a collection of essays on this topic called Virtual History: Alternatives and Counterfactuals (1997). Ferguson uses this method to show that history is not predetermined and that individual actions can change outcomes. He believes that the world is not always progressing or regressing; it depends on the choices people make. This approach has been debated among historians.

British Empire Views

Ferguson has defended the British Empire, saying that it's hard to argue that the world would have been better if Europeans had stayed home. He is critical of what he calls "self-flagellation" or excessive guilt about the Empire in modern European thinking. He argues that the British Empire brought benefits like civil services, education, and railways to places like India, even if it was for self-interest.

However, many historians disagree with Ferguson's positive views on the Empire. Some have called his arguments "false and dangerous." For example, Jon Wilson, a professor at King's College London, wrote a book to challenge Ferguson's ideas, highlighting the negative aspects of British rule in India. Wilson argued that Ferguson's view of the British "transforming" India was too simple and didn't consider the complex interactions between the rulers and the ruled.

Views on Europe and Immigration

Ferguson has expressed concerns about the future of Europe. He has suggested that Europe's defenses have weakened as its wealth has grown, and it has become "decadent." He has compared modern Europe to the Western Roman Empire before its collapse, arguing that Europe has allowed outsiders to enter without fully integrating them.

Regarding the 2015 European migrant crisis, Ferguson compared the mass influx of refugees to the historical Völkerwanderung (migration of peoples) when the Huns caused Germanic tribes to flee into the Roman Empire. He argued that the collapse of the Roman Empire was swift and violent, and that modern European civilization could face a similar, unexpected collapse.

Ferguson believes that large-scale immigration from religious Muslim societies, combined with poor integration, could lead to the growth of extremist groups. He noted that he and his wife, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, need security measures because of her public criticisms of Islam.

Iraq War Support

Ferguson supported the Iraq War. In 2003, he called himself a "fully paid-up member of the neo-imperialist gang." He argued that if intervening in another country brings economic and political freedom and improves people's lives, then it should not be ruled out.

Donald Trump's Presidency

Ferguson was initially skeptical of Donald Trump's chances in the 2016 United States presidential election, predicting his "humiliation." However, after Brexit, he thought Trump could win through the Electoral College. After Trump won, Ferguson argued that a Hillary Clinton presidency might have been more disruptive. He found Trump's personality difficult but noted positive achievements of his administration, especially in the economy and foreign policy towards China and North Korea.

In 2019, Ferguson wrote that the China–United States trade war was the start of a Second Cold War between the U.S. and China. He suggested that having an external enemy like the Soviet Union once was could help reduce political divisions in the U.S.

During the 2020 United States presidential election, Ferguson observed that Trump's support among Black and Latino voters had increased. He predicted Joe Biden would win but without a "blue wave" of support. After the election, Ferguson condemned the 2021 United States Capitol attack by Trump supporters, saying they should be prosecuted and that Trump's actions cost Republicans the Senate.

In 2023, Ferguson suggested that a Trump victory in the 2024 United States presidential election was very possible, despite legal challenges against him. He argued that the perception of Democrats using the legal system for political reasons might help Trump win votes. He also compared Trump's potential return to power to Grover Cleveland, who served two non-consecutive terms as president.

Economic Policy Views

In 2005, Ferguson and economist Laurence J. Kotlikoff proposed major changes to American government spending and income policies. They suggested replacing various taxes with a 33% Federal Retail Sales Tax and creating private retirement accounts instead of traditional Social Security. They also called for a universal Medical Security System with health insurance vouchers and a 20% cut in federal spending.

In 2010, during the Greek government-debt crisis, Ferguson warned that the U.S. could face a similar financial crisis if interest rates rose. He also praised the Tea Party movement. He later called for the Federal Reserve to stop its "quantitative easing" program. In 2012, he suggested that the U.S. had enough energy resources to become energy independent, which could lead to a new economic golden age.

Ferguson was initially critical of Brexit, warning of "dire" economic consequences. However, he later changed his mind and supported Britain's exit from the European Union. He explained that his initial support for remaining in the EU was partly to prevent the government of his friend David Cameron from collapsing. He later argued that the EU had been a "disaster" in its monetary, immigration, and national security policies.

Debates with Paul Krugman

Ferguson had public disagreements with economist Paul Krugman about economic policies. In 2009, Ferguson argued that the Obama administration's economic policies were confusing and would lead to higher interest rates. Krugman strongly disagreed, calling Ferguson's views "basic errors." Later, Krugman pointed out that interest rates remained low despite high deficits, suggesting Ferguson was wrong.

In 2012, Ferguson wrote an article for Newsweek supporting Mitt Romney for president. Krugman criticized the article, claiming it contained many errors and misrepresentations. Ferguson defended his article, saying Krugman was wrong.

Comments on Keynes

In 2013, Ferguson made controversial comments about economist John Maynard Keynes, suggesting that Keynes was indifferent to the future because he was gay and had no children. These remarks were widely criticized as offensive and inaccurate. Ferguson later apologized, saying his comments were "as stupid as they were insensitive" and that his disagreements with Keynes's economic ideas had nothing to do with his personal life.

Cryptocurrency Views

Ferguson was initially doubtful about cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. In 2014, he famously dismissed his teenage son's advice to buy Bitcoin. However, by 2017, he changed his mind, saying Bitcoin had become a form of "digital gold" for wealthy investors, especially in countries with weak legal systems. In 2019, he became an advisor for a digital asset firm, saying he was interested in their plan to "reinvent money" to protect individual freedom. He admitted he was "wrong to think there was no ... use for a form of currency based on blockchain technology."

Scottish Nationalism and the British Union

Ferguson has said he was a Scottish nationalist as a teenager but changed his views after moving to England. He argues that Scottish nationalism is sometimes based on a mistaken idea that Scots have always been oppressed by the English. He points out that Scotland joined England as an "equal" country in 1707 and that Scots played a big part in the East India Company. He believes the union helped calm conflicts between Scottish clans and religious groups.

During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Ferguson supported Scotland staying in the United Kingdom. He warned of potential economic problems if Scotland became independent. In 2021, he criticized the Scottish National Party (SNP) government for its management of the Scottish economy and education. He suggested that the British government should follow Canada's example in dealing with independence movements, by taking the matter to the highest court rather than just allowing a simple majority vote to decide.

COVID-19 Pandemic Views

Drawing on his research of past epidemics, Ferguson predicted in January 2020 that the COVID-19 pandemic would have a severe global impact. He criticized the responses of both the British and U.S. governments as inadequate. He argued that the failures were systemic, not just due to political leaders like Donald Trump or Boris Johnson. He praised Operation Warp Speed, which helped develop vaccines quickly, and noted the lack of a similar program for COVID-19 testing.

2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine

In March 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Ferguson suggested that the U.S. intended to keep the war going by supplying Ukraine with weapons. He argued that this approach risked more deaths and displacement, and could allow Vladimir Putin to claim a victory at home. He also criticized a rally in Moscow that supported the invasion, calling it "fascistic."

2023–2024 Israel–Hamas War

Following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Ferguson stated that Israel could no longer co-exist with Hamas controlling Gaza. He believed that Hamas needed to be destroyed, if possible, at an acceptable cost.

Personal Life

Ferguson met journalist Sue Douglas in 1987, and they married in 1994. They had three children together. They separated in 2010 and divorced in 2011. Ferguson then began dating Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and they married on September 10, 2011. They have two sons. Ferguson has spoken about how much he loves Ali and how she understands Western civilization. In 2023, Ferguson, Hirsi Ali, and their two sons were baptized.

Ferguson has admitted that his dedication to work has sometimes put a strain on his personal relationships. He said that making TV shows and teaching at Harvard took him away from his children too much, and he regrets not spending more time with them during those years.

The character of Irwin, a history teacher in Alan Bennett's play The History Boys (2004), was inspired by Ferguson. Irwin encourages his students to find unusual angles in history and becomes a TV historian.

In 2018, Ferguson became a citizen of the United States. In 2020, he was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In June 2024, he received a knighthood from King Charles III.

See also

In Spanish: Niall Ferguson para niños

• Anglosphere