Hugh Blair

Hugh Blair (7 April 1718 – 27 December 1800) was a Scottish minister of religion, author, and rhetorician, considered one of the first great theorists of written discourse. As a minister of the Church of Scotland and occupant of the Chair of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres at the University of Edinburgh, Blair's teachings had a significant impact in both spiritual and secular spheres. Born in Edinburgh to an educated Presbyterian family, he studied moral philosophy and literature at the University of Edinburgh. Blair became a popular preacher and was appointed to prominent positions within the church, including the second charge of the High Kirk of St Giles. He also pursued a distinguished academic career, lecturing on rhetoric and belles lettres at the University of Edinburgh, eventually becoming a professor in the subject. His most famous works include "Sermons," a five-volume collection promoting practical Christian morality, and "Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres," a prescriptive guide on composition. While his "A Critical Dissertation on the Poems of Ossian, the Son of Fingal" eventually declined in credibility, his "Lectures" were widely adopted in educational institutions, particularly in the United States, shaping the study of rhetoric and composition for many years.