Adam Ferguson | |
|---|---|
 Adam Ferguson as painted by Joshua Reynolds in 1782 | |
| Born | 20 June 1723 |
| Died | 22 February 1816 (aged 92) |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh University of St Andrews |
| Era | 18th-century philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Scottish Common Sense Realism[1] Scottish Enlightenment |
| Institutions | University of Edinburgh |
Main interests | Sociology, political philosophy, ethics, history |
Adam Ferguson, FRSE (Scottish Gaelic: Adhamh MacFhearghais), also known as Ferguson of Raith (1 July N.S.[2] /20 June O.S. 1723 – 22 February 1816), was a Scottish philosopher and historian of the Scottish Enlightenment.
Ferguson was sympathetic to traditional societies, such as the Highlands, for producing courage and loyalty. He criticized commercial society as making men weak, dishonourable and unconcerned for their community. Ferguson has been called "the father of modern sociology" for his contributions to the early development of the discipline.[3][4] His best-known work is his Essay on the History of Civil Society.
- ^ Selections from the Scottish Philosophy of Common Sense, ed. by G. A. Johnston (1915), essays by Thomas Reid, Adam Ferguson, James Beattie, and Dugald Stewart (online version).
- ^ "Adam Ferguson - Philosopher and Historian | James Boswell". www.jamesboswell.info. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Barnes, Harry E. (September 1917). "Sociology Before Comte: A Summary of Doctrines and an Introduction to the Literature". American Journal of Sociology. 23 (2): 234. doi:10.1086/212733. JSTOR 2763534. S2CID 143916665.
- ^ Willcox, William Bradford; Arnstein, Walter L. (1966). The Age of Aristocracy, 1688 to 1830. Volume III of A History of England, edited by Lacey Baldwin Smith (Sixth Edition, 1992 ed.). Lexington, MA. p. 133. ISBN 0669244597.
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