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James Frederick Ferrier (1808-1864). Library of Literary Criticism. 1901-05

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James Frederick Ferrier (1808-1864). Library of Literary Criticism. 1901-05 Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Contents Bibliographic Record Charles Wells Moulton, ed.  Library of Literary Criticism.  1901–05. James Frederick Ferrier (1808–1864) James Frederick Ferrier, metaphysician, was born in Edinburgh, 16th June, 1808. His father was a brother of Miss Ferrier, the novelist; his mother, a sister of Christopher North. He graduated B.A. at Oxford in 1831, and next year was admitted to the Scottish bar, but never practised. In 1842 he became professor of History at Edinburgh, in 1845 of Moral Philosophy at St. Andrews. Ferrier early attracted notice by his metaphysical essays in Blackwood’s Magazine. In his “Institutes of Metaphysics” (1854) he endeavours to construct a system of idealism in a series of propositions demonstrated after the manner of Euclid. He died at St. Andrews, 11th June, 1864. See Life by his son-in-law, Sir Alexander Grant, prefixed to his “Lectures on Greek Philosophy” (1866).—Patrick and Groome, 1897, eds., Chambers’s Biographical Dictionary, p. 362.    

1 Personal

  The only other thing I am “not to forget” is that of the “Essay on Consciousness” in Blackwood. The writer of those Papers is one Ferrier, a nephew of the Edinburgh Miss Ferrier who wrote “Marriage” and some other novels; nephew also of Professor Wilson (Christopher North), and married to one of his daughters. A man of perhaps five-and-thirty; I remember him in boyhood, while he was boarding with an Annandale clergyman; I have seen him since manhood, and liked him well: a solid, square-visaged, dark kind of man, more like your Theodore Parker than any mutual specimen I can recollect. He got the usual education of an Edinburgh Advocate; but found no practice at the bar, nor sought any with due anxiety, I believe; addicted himself to logical meditations;—became, the other year, Professor of Universal History, or some such thing, in the Edinburgh University, and lectures with hardly any audience; a certain young public wanted me to be that Professor there, but I knew better.—Is this enough about Ferrier?—Carlyle, Thomas, 1844, To Emerson, April 3; The Correspondence of Carlyle and Emerson, ed. Norton, vol. II, p. 62.    

2   The most ancient of the northern universities is associated with the name of the latest Scotch philosopher, and the most brilliant philosophical professor of his time in Scotland. Those who admire speculative genius will long be attracted to a place now associated with him, and may be touched by the story of his withdrawal, too soon for his work, from this strange life of sense, to which his thinking has helped to add intellectual charm. His philosophy had its root in his life, and his life found expression in his philosophy; while there is a continuous identity connecting his earliest with his latest writings, which, taken all together, form a unity of which I think we have no other example more complete in the history of British philosophy.—Fraser, A. C., 1868, The Philosophical Life of Professor Ferrier, Macmillan’s Magazine, vol. 17, p. 198.    

3   Ferrier is described by his friends and colleagues as a man of singular personal charm. A manner of much dignity was combined with fine literary taste, wide culture, and thorough gentleness and kindness of heart. He was a man of finely strung nerves, and could be combative in defense of his opinions, but of a tolerant and chivalrous nature. His style is admirably clear and direct. He was a keen metaphysician, and comparatively indifferent to ethical and other applications of his doctrine. His whole aim was to establish his theory of knowing and being. He says that “his philosophy is Scottish to the very core.” He was well acquainted with Spinoza, Kant and the later German philosophy, and greatly admired Hegel; but he differed radically from the applications made by his friend, Sir William Hamilton. He was profoundly influenced by Berkeley, and his theory seems to be a development of Berkeley in the light of later discussions.—Stephen, Leslie, 1889, Dictionary of National Biography, vol. XVIII, p. 390.    

4 General

  The most interesting philosophical personage whom Scotland has given us to contemplate in these years. He preserved the charm of a genial spirit during a lifelong pilgrimage in the land of abstractions; as entirely self-dedicated to curious thinking about the world in which all are feeling and acting as any recluse in the annals of philosophy. And his works are the signal example in Scotland of an alliance of an artistic beauty with abstract philosophy. Notwithstanding, even those who profess to speculate are only now beginning to penetrate into his meaning, and to recognize his chivalrous devotion to abstract truth, in sublime disregard, one may say, of its consequences or of its utility.—Fraser, A. C., 1868, The Philosophical Life of Professor Ferrier, Macmillan’s Magazine, vol. 17, p. 194.    

5   Ferrier has perhaps never had any disciples, but his book is still remembered with respect, and instanced as a remarkable example of excellence in that department of speculative thought which for some time appeared to have lost entirely its attraction for at least the English school of thinkers.—Oliphant, Margaret O. W., 1892, The Victorian Age of English Literature, p. 407.    

6   Too strong a Hamiltonian influence (not in style but in some other ways), and an attempt at an almost Spinozian rigidity of method, have sometimes been held to have marred Ferrier’s philosophical performance; but it is certain that he had the making of a great metaphysician, and that he was actually no small one.—Saintsbury, George, 1896, A History of Nineteenth Century Literature, p. 351.    

7   In the domain of purely metaphysical thought was probably the most gifted man of his time. Ferrier describes his own philosophy as Scottish to the core. There is in it, nevertheless, a considerable tincture from the German, and Ferrier deserves the credit of being one of the earliest professional philosophers who really grappled with German thought. He was also a master of a very clear and attractive style, which makes the reading of his philosophy a pleasure rather than a toil.—Walker, Hugh, 1897, The Age of Tennyson, p. 167.    

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