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James Beattie FRSE (; 25 October 1735 – 18 August 1803) was a Scottish poet, moralist and philosopher. ==Life== James Beattie was born the son of a shopkeeper and small farmer at Laurencekirk in the Mearns, and educated at Marischal College (later part of Aberdeen University), graduating in 1753. In 1760, he was appointed Professor of moral philosophy there as a result of the interest of his intimate friend, Robert Arbuthnot of Haddo. In the following year he published a volume of poems, ''The Judgment of Paris'' (1765), which attracted attention. The two works, however, which brought him most fame were ''An Essay on the Nature and Immutability of Truth'', and his poem of ''The Minstrel''. The ''Essay'', intended as an answer to David Hume, had great immediate success, and led to an introduction to the King, a pension of £200, and the degree of LL.D. from Oxford. The first book of ''The Minstrel'' was published in 1771 and the second in 1774, and constitutes his true title to remembrance, winning him the praise of Samuel Johnson. It contains much beautiful descriptive writing. Beattie was prominent in arguing against the institution of slavery, notably in his ''Essay on the Nature and Immutability of Truth'' (1770) and ''Elements of Moral Science''.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 url =http://www.abdn.ac.uk/slavery/7p1.htm )〕 Beattie was an amateur cellist and member of the Aberdeen Musical Society. He considered questions of music philosophy in his essay ''On Poetry and Music'' (written 1762, published 1776), which was republished several times and translated into French in 1798. His poem "The Hermit" was set to music by Tommaso Giordani (1778). Beattie was co-founder of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1783. Beattie underwent much domestic sorrow in the death of his wife, Mary Dunn, whom he had married in 1767, and two promising sons, which broke down his own health and spirits. He died in Aberdeen in 1803 and is buried there in St Nicholas' Churchyard.〔http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「James Beattie (poet)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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