William Duff (1732–1815) was a Scottish

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

minister and one of the first writers to analyse the nature of

genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for future works, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabili ...

as a property of human psychology.. His ''Essay on Original Genius'' is frequently cited as a landmark in the Western analysis of genius and

creativity Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and valuable is formed. The created item may be intangible (such as an idea, a scientific theory, a musical composition, or a joke) or a physical object (such as an invention, a printed Literature ...

Ministry and family

Duff was a Scottish minister and M.A., was licensed by the presbytery 25 June 1755, called 18 September, and ordained 8 October, when he was appointed to the parish of Glenbucket, Aberdeenshire. Thence he was transferred to

Peterculter Peterculter ( sco, Petercouter), also known as Culter (Scots: ''Couter''), is a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, about inland from Aberdeen city centre. Peterculter is on the northern banks of the River Dee, near the confluences with Crynoch ...

in the same county, 24 October 1766, being admitted 4 March 1767. He was nominated minister of

Foveran Foveran ( gd, Fobharan) is the name of both a parish and village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The village is located north of Aberdeen and southeast of Ellon; the main group of houses and the village school are located adjacent to the main A90 ...

, also in Aberdeenshire, in February 1774, and took up his home a year later. There he got a new church built in 1794, and died father of the synod, 23 February 1815, in the eighty-third year of his age, and sixtieth of his ministry.

Theory of genius

Duff was primarily interested in establishing the cognitive traits that explained variance in people's accomplishments. He postulated three aspects: imagination, judgement and taste. He emphasised imagination as making the most important contribution to genius.

Published works

Duff is author of: # ''An Essay on Original Genius and its Various Modes of Exertion in Philosophy and the Fine Arts, particularly in Poetry'' (anon.), octavo, London, 1767, a work which exhibits considerable acquaintance with classical authors. A sequel is # ''Critical Observations on the Writings of the most celebrated Original Geniuses in Poetry'', octavo, London, 1770. # ''The History of Rhedi, the Hermit of Mount Ararat. An Oriental Tale'' (anon.), duodecimo, London, 1773. # ''Sermons on Several Occasions, 2 volumes duodecimo, Aberdeen, 1786. # ''Letters on the Intellectual and Moral Character of Women'', octavo, Aberdeen, 1807. # ''The Last Address of a Clergyman in the Decline of Life'', octavo, Aberdeen, 1814. Duff also furnished an account of

to Sir J. Sinclair's ''

Statistical Account of Scotland The ''Statistical Accounts of Scotland'' are a series of documentary publications, related in subject matter though published at different times, covering life in Scotland in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The ''Old (or First) Statistical Ac ...

''. cites: Sinclair's ''Statistical Account of Scotland'' ed. 1791–9, vi. 62–70, xxi. Appendix, pages 135–7.

Family

On 4 September 1778, he married Ann Mitchell, by whom he had two sons and four daughters.

Notes

References

* * * ;Attribution * Endotes: **Hew Scott's Fasti Eccl. Scot., vol. iii. pt. ii. pp. 513, 555, 608 **Brit. Mus. Cat. **Cat. of Library of Advocates, ii. 680. **'' Scots Magazine''. lxxvii. 319

External links

* *Hew Scott's Fasti Ecclesiæ scoticanæ, vol. iii. pt. ii. pp
555 (Glenbucket - 1755-67)513 (Peterculter - 1767-74)608 (Foveran - 1775-1815)
1732 births 1815 deaths Creativity researchers Scottish philosophers Scottish psychologists 18th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland 19th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland {{Scotland-writer-stub