William Drummond of Logiealmond facts for kids

Sir William Drummond (born 1769, died 1828) was an important Scottish person. He was a diplomat, which means he represented his country in other nations. He was also a Member of Parliament, a poet, and a philosopher. A philosopher is someone who thinks deeply about life and knowledge.

One of his most famous books, Academical Questions (published in 1805), was very important. It helped shape the ideas of a famous English poet named Percy Bysshe Shelley.

William Drummond lived in London starting in 1809. He passed away in Rome on March 29, 1828.

Early Life and Education

William Drummond was born in Perthshire, Scotland. His father was John Drummond. William went to two well-known universities: St Andrew's University and Oxford University. This shows he received a very good education.

In 1798, he became a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This is a group of important thinkers and scientists in Scotland. The next year, he also joined the Royal Society of London, another famous group for scientific and intellectual achievements.

A Career in Politics and Diplomacy

William Drummond had an interesting career in government.

Serving in Parliament

In 1795, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for a place called St. Mawes. He was also elected as an MP for Lostwithiel in 1796 and 1801. Both of these places were in Cornwall, England. At that time, these areas were known as "rotten boroughs." This meant they had very few voters but still had the power to elect MPs.

Becoming a Diplomat

In 1801, William Drummond became a Privy Counsellor. This is a special advisor to the King or Queen. After this, he left Parliament to become a diplomat. His first job as a diplomat was as an Envoy to the court of Naples. An envoy is like an ambassador, representing their country.

In 1803, he became the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. This was a very important role, as he represented Britain in a powerful empire. He arrived there in May 1803 but returned to England less than a year later in 1804.

From 1806 to 1809, he went back to Naples for a second time as an Envoy. He was given the special title of "Sir" in either 1813 or 1814, which means he was knighted.

His Book: Academical Questions

William Drummond's book, Academical Questions, is a key part of his work as a philosopher.

What the Title Means

The title of his book refers to an ancient Greek school called the "later Platonic Academy." This school was not focused on Plato's original ideas as much. Instead, it was more about Scepticism. Scepticism is a way of thinking that questions whether we can truly know anything for sure. This idea came from thinkers like Pyrrho the Sceptic.

Academical Questions follows this Sceptical tradition. Drummond was influenced by another Scottish philosopher, David Hume, who was also a sceptic.

Challenging Common Ideas

In his book, Drummond used Sceptical ideas to challenge the popular philosophy of his time. This was called "Common Sense" philosophy, led by Thomas Reid. Reid believed that we can trust our basic senses and common sense to understand the world. Drummond, however, used his Sceptical arguments to question these ideas.

A famous quote often linked to Drummond is: "He, who will not reason is a bigot; he who cannot, is a fool; and he, who dares not, is a slave." This quote encourages people to think for themselves and not be afraid to question things.

Other Important Writings

Besides Academical Questions, William Drummond wrote several other notable works.

Oedipus Judaicus

One of his most talked-about books was Oedipus Judaicus. This book was printed for a small group of people at first. It became very controversial, meaning it caused a lot of debate, when it was reprinted in 1866.

In this book, Drummond looked at parts of the Book of Genesis and the Book of Joshua from the Bible. He interpreted them in an allegorical way, meaning he saw them as having hidden, symbolic meanings. His arguments were based on astrology, which is the study of how stars and planets might influence events.

List of Works

Here are some of the books and poems written by Sir William Drummond:

• A Review of the Government of Sparta and Athens (1794)
• Academical Questions (1805)
• Herculanensia (1810) (written with Robert Walpole)
• Memoir on the Antiquity of the Zodiacs of Esneh and Dendera (1821)
• Oedipus Judaicus (1811, reprinted in 1866)
• Odin (1818), a poem
• Origines, or Remarks on the Origin of several Empires, States, and Cities (1824–29)