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The Scottish Enlightenment thinker Adam Ferguson was among the first to observe the phenomenon of spontaneous order.

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Paul Meany
Editor for Intellectual History, Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org

Born between the Scottish Lowlands and Highlands, Ferguson made a name for himself writing philosophical history, an early precursor to sociology. In his famous work, An Essay on The History of Civil Society, Ferguson explained how civilization is refined over many generations as society evolves to deal with ever-​increasing complexity.