Adam Ferguson (1723 to 1816) was a Scottish Enlightenment philosopher and historian whose An Essay on the History of Civil Society (1767) gave the term civil society its currency in English political thought. Ferguson viewed societies as progressing through stages from savagery through barbarism to civilization, rejected the idea that individuals ever existed in isolation prior to society, and treated commercial and civic competition, properly channeled, as a spur to civilization's advance.
Facts
Classification
Political RolePhilosopher and historian 1 Birth YearSourced to the subject's own account Death YearSourced to the subject's own account Connections
Founded
Ferguson's An Essay on the History of Civil Society (1767) gave the term civil society its currency in English political thought.
Source Adam Ferguson (Encyclopedia.com)
Sources
1. Adam Ferguson (Wikipedia)
Lead sentence
was a Scottish philosopher and historian of the Scottish Enlightenment.
Lead paragraph
He criticized commercial society as making men weak, dishonourable, and unconcerned for their community.
View the Source2. Adam Ferguson (Encyclopedia.com)
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