John Fearn (philosopher)

For other people named John Fearn, see John Fearn (disambiguation).

John Fearn (1768 – 3 December 1837) was a British philosopher. Note: He has frequently been confused with John Fearn, the English whaling captain who was the first European to discover Nauru in 1798.

Little is known about Fearn's early life. He was probably born in May 1768 (baptised 11 May) in Chatham, Kent[1] He spent some years as an officer in the Royal Navy,[2] and after retirement devoted himself to philosophical writings.

He was particularly interested in ocular phenomena and visual perception. He was a friend of Samuel Parr and Basil Montagu.[3]

Fearn died in Sloane St, Chelsea, on 3 December 1837.[3]

  1. ^ Parish Register quoted in "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, database, FamilySearch". FamilySearch. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  2. ^ Philosophical Works of Lady Mary Shepherd, Volume 2. Retrieved 2 April 2015
  3. ^ a b Oxford Index. Retrieved 2 April 2015