Educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen, Bain was a gifted student who excelled in mathematics, physics and philosophy. In 1840, while still at college, he published Electrotype and Daguerreotype in the Westminster Review, a journal that he would contribute to frequently over the coming years. This brought him into contact with John Stuart Mill who he assisted with the editing of System of Logic. In 1845, he was appointed professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at the University of Glasgow, but he resigned a year later to devote more of his time to writing. He moved to London in 1848 and took a position with the Board of Health. In 1855, his first major work, The Senses and the Intellect, was published and was well-received in intellectual circles. In 1859, he published The Emotions and the Will. He acted as an official examiner for the University of London and the Indian Civil Service for a number of years during the 1860's. In 1860, he was appointed to the chair of Logic and English Literature at the University of Aberdeen. He produced a number of textbooks during his tenure there. In 1876, he founded the philosophical journal, Mind, and contributed numerous works to the journal for over 18 years. In 1881, he was elected Lord Rector of the University of Aberdeen. Bain is one of the pioneers of modern psychology. His many works include Manual of Rhetoric (1866), Manual of Mental and Moral Science (1868), Logic (1870), A First English Grammar (1872), Mind and Body (1872), Companion to the Higher Grammar (1874), Education as a Science (1879), Biography of James Mill (1882), Practical Essays (1884), On Teaching English (1888) and his Autobiography (1904-posthumous). |
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