David Fordyce
Encyclopedia
David Fordyce was a Scottish philosopher, a contributor to the Scottish Enlightenment
.
Fordyce was educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen (MA, 1728). He entered the ministry and returned to Marischal as regent in 1742, teaching Moral Philosophy there until 1751, when he died by drowning at sea. His popular Elements of Moral Philosophy was first published in Robert Dodsley
's Preceptor, vol. 2 (1748).
, near Aberdeen, and baptised 1 April 1711, the second son of George Fordyce (1663-1733) of Broadford, provost of Aberdeen; he was brother to the physician William Fordyce
and the minister James Fordyce
. After attending Aberdeen grammar school he was entered Marischal College in 1724, where he went through a course of philosophy under Daniel Garden, and took mathematics under John Stewart. He took his M.A. degree in 1728. Being intended for the church he next studied divinity under James Chalmers
, and obtained a license as a preacher; but he never received a call.
There followed an itinerant period, of nearly a decade. He was in Glasgow, taking part in some intellectual debates as a protégé of Thomas Blackwell, in 1735. He had preoccupations with family business, and then travelled to England, where he associated with Philip Doddridge
, whose dissenting academy was then in Northampton
; he served briefly as a minister in Newport Pagnell
, in 1739. Via France he returned to Edinburgh as an assistant at the Tron Kirk
.
In 1742 he was appointed professor of moral philosophy in Marischal College. By Dodsley he was employed to write the article Moral Philosophy for the Modern Preceptor, which was afterwards published separately as The Elements of Moral Philosophy, London, 1754. It reached a fourth edition in 1769, and was translated into German, Zurich, 1757. Fordyce had already attracted some notice for his anonymous Dialogues concerning Education, 2 vols. London, 1745-8.
In 1750 he made a tour through France, Italy, and other countries, and was returning home in September 1751 when he lost his life in a storm off the coast of Holland. His death was noticed by his brother James Fordyce in one of his Addresses to the Deity.
Attribution
Scottish Enlightenment
The Scottish Enlightenment was the period in 18th century Scotland characterised by an outpouring of intellectual and scientific accomplishments. By 1750, Scots were among the most literate citizens of Europe, with an estimated 75% level of literacy...
.
Fordyce was educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen (MA, 1728). He entered the ministry and returned to Marischal as regent in 1742, teaching Moral Philosophy there until 1751, when he died by drowning at sea. His popular Elements of Moral Philosophy was first published in Robert Dodsley
Robert Dodsley
Robert Dodsley was an English bookseller and miscellaneous writer.-Life:He was born near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, where his father was master of the free school....
's Preceptor, vol. 2 (1748).
Life
He was born at BroadfordBroadford
Broadford may refer to:Places*Broadford, County Clare, Republic of Ireland*Broadford, County Limerick, Republic of Ireland*Broadford, Skye, Scotland*Broadford, Pennsylvania, United States*Broadford, Victoria, Australia...
, near Aberdeen, and baptised 1 April 1711, the second son of George Fordyce (1663-1733) of Broadford, provost of Aberdeen; he was brother to the physician William Fordyce
William Fordyce
-Life:The son of Provost George Fordyce of Aberdeen, and brother of David Fordyce, was born at Aberdeen in 1724, and educated at Marischal College; also serving a medical pupilage with a local practitioner and with his brother John at Uppingham in 1743...
and the minister James Fordyce
James Fordyce
James Fordyce, DD , was a Scottish Presbyterian minister and poet. He is best known for his collection of sermons published in 1766 as Sermons for Young Women, popularly known as Fordyce's Sermons.-Early life:...
. After attending Aberdeen grammar school he was entered Marischal College in 1724, where he went through a course of philosophy under Daniel Garden, and took mathematics under John Stewart. He took his M.A. degree in 1728. Being intended for the church he next studied divinity under James Chalmers
James Chalmers
James Chalmers was a Scotsman who it was claimed, by his son, was the inventor of the adhesive postage stamp....
, and obtained a license as a preacher; but he never received a call.
There followed an itinerant period, of nearly a decade. He was in Glasgow, taking part in some intellectual debates as a protégé of Thomas Blackwell, in 1735. He had preoccupations with family business, and then travelled to England, where he associated with Philip Doddridge
Philip Doddridge
Philip Doddridge DD was an English Nonconformist leader, educator, and hymnwriter.-Early life:...
, whose dissenting academy was then in Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
; he served briefly as a minister in Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell is a town in the Borough of Milton Keynes , England. It is separated by the M1 motorway from Milton Keynes itself, though part of the same urban area...
, in 1739. Via France he returned to Edinburgh as an assistant at the Tron Kirk
Tron Kirk
The Tron Kirk is a former principal parish church in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is a well-known landmark on the Royal Mile. It was built in the 17th century, and closed as a church in 1952...
.
In 1742 he was appointed professor of moral philosophy in Marischal College. By Dodsley he was employed to write the article Moral Philosophy for the Modern Preceptor, which was afterwards published separately as The Elements of Moral Philosophy, London, 1754. It reached a fourth edition in 1769, and was translated into German, Zurich, 1757. Fordyce had already attracted some notice for his anonymous Dialogues concerning Education, 2 vols. London, 1745-8.
In 1750 he made a tour through France, Italy, and other countries, and was returning home in September 1751 when he lost his life in a storm off the coast of Holland. His death was noticed by his brother James Fordyce in one of his Addresses to the Deity.
Works
- (anon.), Dialogues concerning Education (1745-48)
- (anon.) Elements of Moral Philosophy, 1748. Published posthumously under Fordyce's name, 1754 (French trans., 1756; German, 1757). Abridged anonymously in the Encyclopedia Britannica, 1st ed., 1771.
- Theodorus: A Dialogue concerning the Art of Preaching, 1752, often reprinted, along with James Fordyce's ' Sermon on the Eloquence, and an Essay on the Action of the Pulpit.'
- The Temple of Virtue: A Dream, 1757, other editions in 1759 and 1775.
External links
- David Fordyce at The Online Library of Liberty
- Juan Gomez, David Fordyce’s advice to students at Early Modern Experimental Philosophy
Attribution