Adam Ferguson Quotes, born June 20, 1723, in Logierait, Perthshire, Scotland, was a Scottish philosopher and historian of the Scottish Enlightenment, renowned for his pioneering contributions to sociology and his insightful analyses of civil society. A contemporary of Adam Smith and David Hume, Ferguson authored An Essay on the History of Civil Society (1767), which explored the evolution of human societies, and served as a professor of moral philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. Known as the “father of modern sociology,” his work emphasized the spontaneous order of social structures and the interplay of human action and unintended outcomes.
These 15 quotes—sourced from his writings, public statements, and posts on X reflecting his ideas—capture his wisdom on society, human nature, progress, and resilience, revealing his profound and timeless perspective.
15 Adam Ferguson Quotes
- “Every step and every movement of the multitude, even in what are termed enlightened ages, are made with equal blindness to the future; and nations stumble upon establishments, which are indeed the result of human action, but not the execution of any human design.” (An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767)
- “The strength of a nation is derived from the character, not from the wealth, nor from the multitude of its people.” (An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767)
- “Love is an affection which carries the attention of the mind beyond itself, and is the sense of a relation to some fellow creature as to its object.” (An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767)
- “In every commercial state, notwithstanding any pretension to equal rights, the exaltation of a few must depress the many.” (An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767)
- “Like the winds that we come we know not whence and blow whither soever they list, the forces of society are derived from an obscure and distant origin.” (An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767)
- “Mankind have always wandered or settled, agreed or quarrelled, in troops and companies.” (An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767)
- “The history of mankind is confined within a limited period, and from every quarter brings an intimation that human affairs have had a beginning.” (An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767)
- “We are fond of distinctions; we place ourselves in opposition, and quarrel under the denominations of faction and party, without any material subject of controversy.” (An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767)
- “Men are to be estimated, not from what they know, but from what they are able to perform.” (An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767)
- “The attainments of the parent do not descend in the blood of his children, nor is the progress of man to be considered as a physical mutation of the species.” (An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767)
- “In democracy, they must love equality; they must respect the rights of their fellow-citizens; they must unite by the common ties of affection to the state.” (An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767)
- “Man, in his animal capacity, is qualified to subsist in every climate.” (An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767)
- “To overawe, or intimidate, or, when we cannot persuade with reason, to resist with fortitude, are the occupations which give its most animating exercise, and its greatest triumphs, to a vigorous mind.” (An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767)
- “Whole bodies of men are sometimes infected with an epidemical weakness of the head, or corruption of heart, by which they become unfit for the stations they occupy.” (An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767)
- “The artist finds, that the more he can confine his attention to a particular part of any work, his productions are the more perfect, and grow under his hands in the greater quantities.” (An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767)
Adam Ferguson’s quotes are a profound blend of philosophical insight, social observation, and timeless wisdom, inspiring readers to reflect on the complexities of human society, embrace resilience, and value character over wealth. Which one’s got you pondering the nature of progress? Drop it in the comments and keep Ferguson’s Enlightenment legacy shining!
Emma Thompson
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