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Son of Francis Anderson,
was born at Glasgow on 3 September 1858. He was a pupil-teacher at the age
of 14, and proceeding to Glasgow university had a brilliant course and
graduated M.A. He was awarded Sir Richard Jebb's prize for Greek
literature, took first place in the philosophical classes of Professors
Veitch and Caird, and won two scholarships. He was for two years assistant
to the professor of moral philosophy and came to Melbourne in 1886 as
assistant to the Rev. Dr Strong (q.v.) at the Australian Church. This was
a valuable experience to Anderson as his work brought him in contact with
both the best and the worst types of human nature. In 1888 he was
appointed lecturer in philosophy at the university of Sydney, and was the
first Challis professor of logic and mental philosophy from the beginning
of 1890. He held this position until the end of 1921, when he retired and
became emeritus professor.
Anderson was president of
the mental science and education section at the meeting of the
Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science held at Brisbane
in January 1895 and gave an address on "Politics and Education", and on 26
June 1901, at a conference of teachers, in an address on "The Public
School System of New South Wales", spoke frankly on "the defects,
limitations and needs of the existing system of education". Mr J. Perry,
the minister of public instruction, immediately called a conference of
inspectors and principal officers of his department, and in 1902 J. W.
Turner and (Sir) G. H. Knibbs (q.v.) were appointed as commissioners to
inquire into educational systems in Europe and America. Their report
confirmed Anderson's strictures, the pupil-teacher system was abolished,
and the training of teachers at the Teachers' College was reconstructed.
Thirteen years later Anderson was able to report an immense improvement in
the state of education in New South Wales (see his chapter on "Educational
Policy and Development" in the Federal Handbook prepared for the meeting
of the British Association for the Advancement of Science held in
Australia in 1914). Anderson was president of the social and statistical
science section at the meeting of the Australasian Association for the
Advancement of Science held at Adelaide in 1907, and gave an address on
"Liberalism and Socialism". This was followed by a paper on "Sociology in
Australia. A Plea for its Teaching" given at the Sydney meeting held in
1911. Following on the discussion a resolution was unanimously passed
recommending the institution of a chair of sociology in Australia.
At the time of Anderson's
resignation at the end of 1921 it was proposed to have his portrait
painted, but he suggested that instead of this a frieze emblematic of the
history of philosophy should be placed in the philosophy lecture room of
the university. Eventually two panels were painted for it by Norman
Carter, one representing Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, the other
Descartes, Bacon, and Spinoza.
Anderson became the first
editor of the Australasian Journal of Psychology and Philosophy
from 1923 to 1926, and he also took a great deal of interest in the
tutorial classes and Workers' Education Association movements. Another
interest was the League of Nations. He died at Sydney on 24 June 1941. He
was twice married (1) to Maybanke Selfe Wolstenholme, and (2) to Josephine
Wight who survived him. He was knighted in 1936. Some of his papers and
addresses were published separately as pamphlets. His monograph on
Liberty, Equality and Fraternity was issued by the Association of
Psychology and Philosophy.
As a teacher Anderson was
always interesting and free from pedantry. He had a gift of exposition and
was passionately in earnest especially when some great truth was in
question. His greatest interests lay in moral philosophy and sociology;
logic and psychology had less attraction for him, though in his early days
at Sydney he had had to cover every branch of his subjects including even
politics and economics. He was a good friend, a great worker for
education, and a distinguished figure in the cultural life of his state.
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