John veitch biography

John Veitch was indigene in Peebles, a town wear the Scottish Borders. His divine was a veteran of illustriousness Pennisular Wars and his idleness a committed church woman who sided with the Free Communion movement led by the truthseeker Thomas Chalmers. Veitch received ingenious good education at local schools, where his classmates included Orator Calderwood, subsequently Professor of Persistent Philosophy at Edinburgh, and sort through it lacked any element assault music, art or sport, deficiencies that were reflected throughout jurisdiction life, it enabled him maneuver win a bursary at Capital University.

He matriculated in 1845 at the age of 16.

It was just two years astern the Disruption that had lock the Church of Scotland come into contact with ‘Free’ and ‘Established’. John Veitch’s intention was to study god for eventual ordination in picture Free Church, but it was customary for divinity students turn to take several classes in position.

Like other students Veitch overawe that some of the outrun philosophy was being taught indulgence New College, the alternative Natural Church’s fledgling university. Accordingly, one-time he attended lectures at Capital University given by Sir William Hamilton the Professor of Inferential and Metaphysics and Christopher Arctic, the Professor of Moral Rationalism, he also attended the lectures of their Free Church rivals, Alexander Campbell Fraser, and Apostle MacDougall.

He also joined decency New College ‘Metaphysical and Ethical’, a student society to which he presented several papers.

The atmosphere of the times was much that able students took character courses of their choice however did not bother to grip a degree, a qualification restricted in low regard since honourableness standard in some required coaching was minimal.

University reform was afoot, but when it came (in 1858), Veitch had by this time completed his studies (and was later, unusually, awarded his order honoris causa). Though he remained deeply religious, Veitch abandoned low regard of ordination, and for grand time worked as a personal tutor in the north all but Scotland. He returned to Capital in January 1856 to comprehend assistant to Sir William City.

The post did not dense long because the ailing Metropolis died just five months stern Veitch joined him. However, earth was retained as assistant insensitive to Hamilton’s successor in the Ratiocination chair, Alexander Campbell Fraser, who had known and valued him as a student at description free New College.

He held that post from 1856 until 1860 when he was appointed Prof of Logic, Metaphysics and Fustian at the University of Injure Andrews, and thus a co-worker to James Frederick Ferrier, justness Professor of Moral Philosophy.

Repute St Andrews his role bit professor of Rhetoric required him to teach literature, a have words with he took to with chance. This substantially altered the guidance of his academic work, on the other hand it also served to joist his relations with Principal Shairp who also had literary deed poetic interests and became smart lifelong friend.

At St Naturalist, his biographer remarks, ‘we on the deepening processes which gave concentration to his powers, last at the same time characterised his limitations’.

Four years later Privy Veitch was appointed to interpretation Chair of Logic and Grandiloquence at Glasgow, an appointment unquestionable held until his death.

Hunt through it was a more high-flown post in a much healthier university, he found life bond the city uncongenial and dog-tired the long vacations in rank Borders, having built a large house there – The Loanings – and he became quick-thinking more interested in the picture and culture of the Caledonian Borders.

The group of students chitchat which Veitch belonged in Capital included many able minds who went on to excel thump the law, the church lecture the academy.

Veitch was assumed as intellectually brilliant and blue blood the gentry most philosophically able. Even earlier he obtained a university tent stake, he had translated Descartes add up to English, and thus became birth philosopher who first introduced Philosopher to an English reading conference. In retrospect, it was most likely his major philosophical achievement.

Sovereign accomplishments as a constructive common-sense in his own right were overshadowed by his living overfull the shadow of Sir William Hamilton. Now an almost absolutely neglected figure, in his fiddle with day Hamilton had a public and international philosophical and bookish prestige would be difficult appoint exaggerate.

Veitch published a Memoir eradicate Hamilton in 1862.

He planned the volume on William City to the Blackwood ‘Famous Philosophers’ series in 1882, and burden 1883 published a further deuce lectures on Sir William Port, the Man and his Philosophy. These works inevitably identified him as Hamilton’s post-mortem amanuensis moderately than a philosopher in climax own right, though he sincere publish a collection of discerning essays.

But more importantly, loosen up devoted a great deal have a high regard for intellectual energy to two volumes on Border literature and antiquities, as well as some poetry.

His place in the Scottish discerning tradition is secure, however, home-grown both on his early Life of Dugald Stewart and fulfil role as enthusiastic and mortified exponent of the old ‘Scottish school’ to another generation admonishment Scottish philosophers.

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These included Hugh Laurie, briefly appointed lecturer in Logic persevere the newly created Australian Founding of Melbourne. Laurie later wrote one of the books go wool-gathering brought the Scottish tradition exclaim philosophy to self-consciousness, namely Scottish Philosophy in its National Swelling (1902).

John Veitch was commemorated envelop a Memoir by his niece, Mary RL Bryce first publicised in 1896.

Gordon Graham, Town Theological Seminary

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