Robert Adamson

Robert Adamson (19 January 1852 – 5 February 1902) was a Scottish philosopher and Professor of Logic at Glasgow. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father was a solicitor, and his mother devoted herself to her children's education after his father's death. Adamson entered the University of Edinburgh at fourteen and graduated with high honors in mental philosophy. He continued his studies in Germany and returned to Edinburgh as an assistant. He also worked for the Encyclopædia Britannica. In 1876, he became Professor of Logic and Philosophy at Owens College, Manchester. He later moved to the University of Aberdeen and then to the University of Glasgow, where he remained until his death. Adamson delivered lectures without manuscripts and was known for his impartiality and rigorous logic. His philosophical views were influenced by Kant and neo-Kantianism, with a blend of empiricism and idealism. He was critical of abstract metaphysical doctrines. He married Margaret "Daisy" Duncan, and they had a daughter, Sarah Gough Adamson, who became an artist. Adamson's writings included articles and essays, with posthumous publications of his lectures and a history of psychology.