John Stuart Mackenzie

Background

Mackenzie, John Stuart was born on February 29, 1860 in Glasgow.

Education

University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh and Trinity College. Cambridge.

Career

18906, Fellow of Trinity College. Cambridge: 1895— 1915, Professor of Logic and Metaphysics. University College. Cardiff.

Views

J. S. Mackenzie belonged to a generation of British idealists who found themselves challenged by other philosophies, such as empiricism, hedonism and individualism. He was at Cambridge when Hegel was still little known there and a paper by him had a decisive influence on a fellow student. McTaggart, then ‘an ardent Spencerian. His Manual of Ethics (1893) went into six editions and many students were introduced to idealism in moral, social and political philosophy through Mackenzie’s textbooks. He had been a pupil of Edward Caird and Henry Jones and always claimed a close affinity with their philosophy- This is not to say that he added nothing of his ownHe was constantly absorbing new currents o thought, including strong elements of realism- and in his hands Caird’s philosophy became ’a liberal eclecticism’. Sources: Dictionary of National Biography 1931^t0; Mrs Mackenzie (1936) John Stuart Mackenzie, London: Williams & Norgate: CBP II: Passmore 1957.

Interests

• Philosophers & Thinkers

  Personal influences: Edward Caird. Sir Henry Jones and J. M. E. McTaggart. Literary influences: Hegel. Meinong and Spencer.