Background
Adam Ferguson was born on June 20, 1723 in Logierat, Perthshire.
He was the son of Rev Adam Ferguson.
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(Moral Philosophy. in troduction. SECTION I. VO fK noivkdg...)
Moral Philosophy. in troduction. SECTION I. VO fK noivkdge in general!. ALL knowledge is either that of particular facfls, or that of general rules. The knowledge of fac5ls is prior to,that of rules ;and is the firfl reiquifite in the pracflice of arts, and in the condudl of affairs. Bacon sN ovum organum. (Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.) About the Publisher Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology. Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the aged text. Read books online for free at www.forgottenbooks.org
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( A philosopher and historian, Adam Ferguson occupies a u...)
A philosopher and historian, Adam Ferguson occupies a unique place within eighteenth-century Scottish thought. Distinguished by a moral and historical bent, his work is framed within a teleological outlook that upholds the importance of action and virtue.
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( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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(Excerpt from The History of the Progress and Termination ...)
Excerpt from The History of the Progress and Termination of the Roman Republic The wants by which the Romans were impel led in the first state of their settlement, made it. Necessary for them to vanquish some of their neighbours, or to perish in the attempt. Valour, accordingly, in their estimation, was the principal quality of human nature, and the defeat of an enemy the chief of its fruits. Ever leader who 'obtained a victory made his entry at ome in pro cession; and this gave rise to the triumph, which continued, from the first to the last age of the commonwealth, to be the highest object of am bitiou. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)
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(Excerpt from Biographical Sketch, or Memoir of Lieutenant...)
Excerpt from Biographical Sketch, or Memoir of Lieutenant-Colonel Patrick Ferguson: Originally Intended for the British Encyclopaedia Superior military genius is but rare among the gifts of nature; and of those who are endowed with it, many are stopt Short in the early stages of a profession of which they are forward to incur the dangers. Such as survive those dangers, and attain to eminent stations in the service of their country, are secure of their fame. For those who fall prematurely it is but fair, as often as they can be distinguished, to affix to their memory the marks of honour they covet, and for which the votaries of profit will not surely contend with them. If the young man who is the subject of the present article had escaped the dangers to which he was so often exposed, it is probable that the annals of his country would have spoken more fully for him. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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Adam Ferguson was born on June 20, 1723 in Logierat, Perthshire.
He was the son of Rev Adam Ferguson.
In 1739 he went to the University of St. Andrews, where he received his master of arts degree in 1742. Determined on a clerical career, he began to study divinity at St. Andrews, continuing these studies in Edinburgh.
Ferguson was appointed deputy chaplain to Scotland’s Black Watch Regiment in 1745 and engaged in combat in Flanders. In 1757 he abandoned the clerical profession to succeed his friend David Hume as keeper of the Advocates’ Library in Edinburgh. He became professor of natural philosophy at the University of Edinburgh in 1759 and professor of mental and moral philosophy there in 1764. Before resigning his chair in 1785, he had written his major works, which include The Morality of Stage Plays Seriously Considered (1757); Essay on the History of Civil Society (1767); Institutes of Moral Philosophy (1769); and Remarks (1776), in which Ferguson proposed peace terms for the North Americans fighting in the American Revolution.
In 1778 Ferguson traveled to Philadelphia with a British commission sent to negotiate with American revolutionaries. He spent his later years in retirement at St. Andrews. Sir Walter Scott composed his epitaph.
Ferguson is chiefly remembered for the Essay on the History of Civil Society, an intellectual history that traces humanity’s progression from barbarism to social and political refinement. In his philosophy Ferguson emphasized society as the wellspring of human morals and actions and, indeed, of the human condition itself.
Among his other works are The History of the Progress and Termination of the Roman Republic, 3 vol. (1783), and Principles of Moral and Political Science, 2 vol. (1792).
Ferguson wrote the article on history for the second edition of Encyclopædia Britannica (1780), which included the first timeline presented in the encyclopaedia.
In his seventieth year, Ferguson, intending to prepare a new edition of the history, visited Italy and some of the principal cities of Europe, where he was received with honour by learned societies. From 1795 he resided successively at Neidpath Castle near Peebles, at Hallyards on Manor Water, and at St Andrews, where he died on 22 February 1816.
(Excerpt from Biographical Sketch, or Memoir of Lieutenant...)
(Excerpt from The History of the Progress and Termination ...)
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( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)
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(Headings include human nature, the History of Rude Nation...)
( A philosopher and historian, Adam Ferguson occupies a u...)
(Moral Philosophy. in troduction. SECTION I. VO fK noivkdg...)
In his ethical system Ferguson treats man as a social being, illustrating his doctrines by political examples. As a believer in the progression of the human race, he placed the principle of moral approbation in the attainment of perfection.
In the political part of his system Ferguson follows Montesquieu, and pleads the cause of well-regulated liberty and free government.
Ferguson's importance as a thinker rests on his recognition of the important role played by society in shaping human values. He particularly rejected any notion of a "state of nature" in which men lived as individuals before society was established. Being a social animal, man was conditioned by necessity, habit, language, and familial or societal guidance. Societies as a whole, Ferguson asserted, are dynamic, following a pattern of change from "savagery" to "barbarism" to "civilization. " Like individuals, they learn from and build upon the past. Different societies may, however, reflect particular characteristics based on factors such as geography or climate.
As any society becomes civilized, Ferguson suggested, it becomes more prone to conflict. Commerce breeds economic competition, and the state system breeds war. Although some benefits do result from conflict—industrial growth, scientific and esthetic advances—Ferguson stressed that, when the division of labor results in economic class stratification and when warfare becomes the province of the professional military, a society faces decay and despotism and conflict is then no longer present. It should be noted that Ferguson was one of the first thinkers to point to conflict as a positive factor in human development and to argue that such conflict is more pronounced in civilized societies than in primitive ones.
His membership of The Poker Club is recorded in its minute book of 1776.
He also was a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Quotes from others about the person
Victor Cousin criticised Ferguson's speculations (see his Cours d'histoire de la philosophie morale an dix-huitième siècle, pt. II. , 1839–1840):
"We find in his method the wisdom and circumspection of the Scottish school, with something more masculine and decisive in the results. The principle of perfection is a new one, at once more rational and comprehensive than benevolence and sympathy, which in our view places Ferguson as a moralist above all his predecessors. "
He married Katharine Burnett in 1767.