Adam Ferguson
At a glance:
- Series: Dictionary of World Biography: The 17th and 18th Centuries
- Categories: Philosophy, Literature, Publishing, Social Science
- Subcategories: Philosophers, Enlightenment, Sociology, Sociologists
- Curriculum: British History, 18th Century European History
Article abstract: Ferguson was a leading figure of the eighteenth century Scottish Enlightenment. He was not simply the contemporary of David Hume and Adam Smith but also esteemed as their peer. Widely regarded as the founder of modern sociology, he was the forerunner of, and a significant influence upon, such later thinkers as Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, and even Karl Marx.
Early Life
Adam Ferguson was born on June 20, 1723, at the village of Logierait, Perthshire, in the foothills of the Scottish Highlands. His father, also named Adam, was the...
[The entire page is 2767 words long]