James Beattie

Laurencekirk, Scotland, 1735 - 1803

Keywords

About MePhilosopher and poet
From a young age James Beattie was recognised as an outstanding scholar; aged 14 he won a bursary to study Greek at Marischal College, Aberdeen. On graduating he took the position of schoolmaster at the village of Fordoun, south of Aberdeen. There his love of the landscape and nature inspired him to write and, from 1756, he began to publish poetry.

Whilst living at Fordoun, James kept in contact with his university friends in Aberdeen. In October 1760 he moved back to join them, taking up a position as Professor of Moral Philosophy and Logic at Marischal College. He was elected to the Aberdeen Philosophical Society where he debated with fellow philosopher Thomas Reid.

James’s best-known work was his Essay on Truth. This was a bitter attack on the writings of philosopher David Hume, whom James believed was responsible for undermining religion and morals. His Essay brought James celebrity, especially amongst those who saw it as a defence of religion.
Additional InfoImage Attribution: Engraved by Ridley from a painting in the possession of James Beattie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Wikipedia Biography

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History and Legacy of Enslavement in Aberdeen

One of the first people to publicly speak out against chattel slavery was James Beattie, Professor of Moral Philosophy at Marischal College, which he conveyed through his ‘Essay on the Nature and Immutability of Truth’ in 1770 and other later works.