Ferguson Adam (1723–1816), Scottish philosopher and historian. His main theme was the rise and fall of virtue in individuals and societies. In his most important work, An Essay on the History of Civil Society (1766), he argued that human happiness (of which virtue is a constituent) is found in pursuing social goods rather than private ends. Ferguson thought that ignoring social goods not only prevented social progress but led to moral corruption and political despotism. To support this he used classical texts and travelers’ writings to reconstruct the history of society from ‘rude nations’ through barbarism to civilization. This allowed him to express his concern for the danger of corruption inherent in the increasing selfinterest manifested in the incipient commercial civilization of his day. He attempted to systematize his moral philosophy in The Principles of Moral and Social Science (1792). J.W.A.