Henry Laurie, Date of Birth, Date of Death
TweetHenry Laurie
(1837-1922) journalist and philosopher
Date of Birth: 
About Henry Laurie
- Henry Laurie (1837/1838?–14 May 1922) was an Australian philosopher, a journalist, and the first professor of philosophy at the University of Melbourne.Laurie was educated at the University of Edinburgh where he was strongly influenced by the philosopher Alexander Campbell Fraser.
- Laurie did not graduate from the university for health reasons, and then moved first to Canada, then to Victoria.
- In Australia, he became a journalist and contributed to the Warrnambool Examiner, and subsequently edited the weekly newspaper, the Warrnambool Standard, in partnership with a printer and journalist named William Fairfax.
- His interests remained literary and philosophical throughout.In 1886, he was offered the job of Chair of Mental and Moral Philosophy at Melbourne, having written two articles on philosophy.
- One, "A Plea for Philosophy", rebutted objections to the study of philosophy including those who were worried that the study of philosophy would "be antagonistic to the Christian faith".
- The second piece, "The Study of Mental Philosophy", also broadly advocated the study of philosophy and rebutted criticisms from those who said the endeavour was "useless or impossible".
- As a professor, Laurie kept his philosophical opinions to himself but was critical of the works of Herbert Spencer.
- His teaching of logic drew on William Hamilton's writings.He received an honorary LL.D from St Andrew's University in 1886.
- On 11 January 1871, he married Frances, the daughter of William Spalding.
- They had three sons.
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