▁influ ential ▁Canadian ▁political ▁scient ist ▁who ▁taught ▁political ▁theory ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Toronto . ▁ ▁Life ▁Mac ph erson ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁November ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁in ▁Toronto , ▁Ontario . ▁He ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Toronto ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 . ▁After ▁ear ning ▁a ▁Master ▁of ▁Science ▁degree ▁in ▁econom ics ▁at ▁the ▁London ▁School ▁of ▁Econom ics ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁under ▁the ▁super vision ▁of ▁Harold ▁L ask i , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁fac ulty ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Toronto ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 . ▁At ▁that ▁time ▁a ▁Doctor ▁of ▁Philosoph y ▁degree ▁in ▁the ▁social ▁sciences ▁was ▁un common , ▁but ▁some ▁twenty ▁years ▁later ▁he ▁submitted ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁six teen ▁published ▁papers ▁to ▁the ▁London ▁School ▁of ▁Econom ics ▁and ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Doctor ▁of ▁Science ▁degree ▁in ▁econom ics . ▁These ▁papers ▁were ▁then ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁edition ▁as ▁the ▁book , ▁Dem ocracy ▁in ▁Al berta : ▁The ▁Theory ▁and ▁Pract ice ▁of ▁a ▁Qu asi - Part y ▁System . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁Professor ▁of ▁Political ▁Econom y ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Toronto . ▁ ▁He ▁took ▁several ▁s abb at ical s ▁on ▁fellow ships ▁which ▁were ▁often ▁spent ▁at ▁English ▁univers ities ▁including ▁an ▁O verse as ▁Fellow ship ▁of ▁Church ill ▁College , ▁Cambridge . ▁ ▁Mac ph erson ▁gave ▁the ▁annual ▁M asse y ▁L ect ures