Harrison, Frederic, 1831-1923

A contemporary of John Ruskin and John Stuart Mill, Frederic Harrison strongly influenced English politics and philosophy in the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth-century. The positivist movement gained prominence through Harrison's political activity, writings and teachings. He was also very active in the labor movement and fought for greater worker's rights in England. Harrison was introduced to positivism as a student at Oxford. Venerating humanity over deity, positivism created controversy in the predominantly Christian England. Harrison was a true believer and champion of the philosophy throughout his life. He published numerous books, articles and introductions to works by other positivists. He resided in England his entire life and continued to publish books into his nineties. He died in Bath, England in 1923.

Frederic Harrison, English positivist and author.

Epithet: Subject of Mss Eur F234

Frederic Harrison, 1831-1923, was educated at Kings College, London and Wadham College, Oxford, where he was a Fellow and Tutor from 1854 to 1856. He was called to the Bar in 1858 and held the post of Professor of Jurisprudence and International Law to the Inns of Court, 1877-1889. He was also a member of the Royal Commission on Trades Unions, 1867-1869, Secretary to the Royal Commission for Digesting the Law, 1869-1870, Vice-President of the Royal Historical Society and the London Library, and an alderman of the London County Council, 1889-1893. However, Frederic Harrison is perhaps best known as the president of the English Positivist Committee, a post that he held from 1880 to 1905.

Author and philosopher.

English author.

English author and positivist philosopher.

English tutor, lecturer, stage manager.

A contemporary of John Ruskin and John Stuart Mill, Frederic Harrison strongly influenced English politics and philosophy in the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth-century. The positivist movement gained prominence through Harrison's political activity, writings and teachings. He was also very active in the labor movement and fought for greater worker's rights in England.

Harrison was introduced to positivism as a student at Oxford. Venerating humanity over deity, positivism created controversy in the predominantly Christian England. Harrison was a true believer and champion of the philosophy throughout his life. He published numerous books, articles and introductions to works by other positivists. In 1867 he organized the Positivist Society and co-founded the Positivist Review.

Harrison was also very active in movements for worker's rights. By the 1860s he regularly wrote for the Westminster Review and the Fortnightly Review, both of which he would later edit. He participated in the United Building Trades strike and was appointed by Parliament to the Trades Union Commission in 1862.

He resided in England his entire life and continued to publish books into his nineties. He died in Bath, England in 1923.