John Daniel Morell (18 June 1816 – 1 April 1891) was a British

educationalist Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Vari ...

and Congregational minister.

Life

Morell was born at

Little Baddow Little Baddow is a village to the east of Chelmsford, Essex. The name ''Baddow'' comes from an Old English word meaning 'bad water', and which was the original name of the River Chelmer. The village is positioned on one of the many elevated hills ...

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

, where his father was minister of the Congregational church (1799–1852). He went to

Homerton College Homerton College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Its first premises were acquired in Homerton, London in 1768, by an informal gathering of Protestant dissenters with origins in the seventeenth century. In 1894, the co ...

in 1833, where he studied theology under

John Pye Smith John Pye-Smith (25 May 1774 – 5 February 1851) was a Congregational minister, theologian and tutor, associated with reconciling geological sciences with the Bible, repealing the Corn Laws and abolishing slavery. He was the author of many ...

. He then entered the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

, where he took the M.A. degree in 1841. Subsequently he studied philosophy and theology under

Fichte Johann Gottlieb Fichte (; ; 19 May 1762 – 29 January 1814) was a German philosopher who became a founding figure of the philosophical movement known as German idealism, which developed from the theoretical and ethical writings of Immanuel Kan ...

Bonn The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr r ...

, and returned to England to undertake the pastorate of the Congregational church at

Gosport Gosport ( ) is a town and non-metropolitan borough on the south coast of Hampshire, South East England. At the 2011 Census, its population was 82,662. Gosport is situated on a peninsula on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, opposite t ...

in 1842. In 1845, Morell gave up the ministry in favour of philosophy. In 1848 he made his name by his ''Historical and Critical View of the Speculative Philosophy of Europe in the Nineteenth Century''. It brought him to the notice of Lord Lansdowne, who made him an inspector of schools. From 1848 till 1876 he was active in that career.

Works

Morell's ''Historical and Critical View of the Speculative Philosophy of Europe in the Nineteenth Century'' was his major work. He showed a partiality for the "eclectic philosophy" of

Victor Cousin Victor Cousin (; 28 November 179214 January 1867) was a French philosopher. He was the founder of "eclecticism", a briefly influential school of French philosophy that combined elements of German idealism and Scottish Common Sense Realism. As ...

, and pointed out the

Scottish Enlightenment The Scottish Enlightenment ( sco, Scots Enlichtenment, gd, Soillseachadh na h-Alba) was the period in 18th- and early-19th-century Scotland characterised by an outpouring of intellectual and scientific accomplishments. By the eighteenth century ...

as a precursor. Rudolf Metz argued that Morell's thought itself was based on Scottish philosophy. He published educational works, including: *''The Philosophy of Religion'' (1849) *''The Analysis of Sentences'' (1852) *''Elements of Psychology'' (1853) *''The Essentials of English Grammar and Analysis'' (1855) *''Handbook of Logic'' (1855) *''Grammar of the English Language'' (1857) *''The Philosophical Tendencies of the Age'' (1848), four lectures *''The Philosophy of Religion'' (1849) *''Fichte's Contributions to Moral Philosophy'' (1860) *''Philosophical Fragments'' (1878) *''An Introduction to Mental Philosophy on the Inductive Method'' (1884) *''Manual of History of Philosophy with numerous examination papers in mental science which have been set in the London University'' (1884).

References

;Attribution *

External links

James Martineau James Martineau (; 21 April 1805 – 11 January 1900) was a British religious philosopher influential in the history of Unitarianism. For 45 years he was Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy and Political Economy in Manchester New College ( ...

''History of Modern Philosophy''
– A review of Morell's ''An historical and critical review of the speculative philosophy of Europe in the nineteenth century'', 1883
Texts on Hathi Trust by or about MorellBy or about Morell from Online Books
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morell, John Daniel 1816 births 1891 deaths University of Bonn alumni Alumni of Homerton College, Cambridge