Profile Major Works Resources

John Millar, 1735-1801

Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, economic historian and Professor of Civil Law at the University of Glasgow. 

John Millar is only known to have authored two works.  A deep admirer of Adam Smith, John Millar is best know for this Distinctions of Ranks, applying Smith's theories of civilizational stages to explain the development of hierarchical structures of society, politics, workplaces and the family.  His other named work is his posthumously published History of English Government, considered a classical epitome of Whiggish economic history.  (Millar was an early classical liberal, politically devoted  to the Rockingham Whigs).

Millar was the teacher of the elusive John Craig, and Craig's own 1814 Elements thesis is believed to by some scholars to be a paraphrasing of Millar's lectures on political science at Glasgow.

 Millar is believed to have authored a series of anonymous letters to the Scots Chronicle in 1796.  These  later compiled together as the Letters of Crito and (with more uncertainty) the Letters of Sidney (it has been alternatively posited Craig was the author of the latter).

 

  


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Major Works of John Millar

  • Observations concerning the Distinction of Ranks in Society, 1771 [bk], [1773 ed] [1793 edition retitled: The Origin of the Distinction of the Ranks, or an inquiry into the circumstances which give rise to influence and authority in the different members of society] [1806 ed], [McM] [lib]
  • [Anon] Letters of Crito on the causes, objects, and consequences of the present war, 1796 [bk]  [lib] (compilation of letters to the Scots Chronicle from May to September, 1796)
  • [Anon] Letters of Sidney, on Inequality of Property, to which is added, a treatise of the effects of War on commercial prosperity, 1796  [lib] (compilation of letters to the Scots Chronicle from August to November, 1796; alt. attrib. to John Craig)
  • An Historical view of the English Government, from the settlement of the Saxons in Britain to the Revolution in 1688, to which are subjoined some dissertations connected with the history of the government from the Revolution to the present time, 1803, v.1, v.2, v.3, v.4  [1818 ed, v.1, v.2 v.3, v.4], [lib]

HET

 

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Resources on John Millar

  • "Account of the Life and Writings of John Millar, Esq." by John Craig, p.i-x, in 1806 ed. of Observations concerning the Distinction of Ranks in Society.
  • "Art 13 - Millar's View of English Government", by [Francis Jeffrey], 1803  Edinburgh Review  (No. 5, Oct), p.154
  • "Art 5 - Craig's Life of Millar",  by [Francis Jeffrey], 1806  Edinburgh Review  (No. 17, Oct), p.83
  • "Millar, John" in R.H. Inglis Palgrave, editor, 1894-1901 Dictionary of Political Economy [1901 ed.]
  • "Millar, John" in Leslie Stephen & Stephen Lee, editor, 1885-901 Dictionary of National Biography [1908-09 ed]
  • Millar page at McMaster
  • Biography of Millar at McMaster
  • Millar page at Thoemmes 
  • John Millar of Glasgow, 1735-1801: his life and thought and his contributions to sociological analysis by W.C. Lehmann, 1960
  • Wikipedia
  • Millar at IESS, 1968

 

 
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