mar ▁School . ▁ ▁He ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Aber de en , ▁gradu ating ▁with ▁an ▁MA ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 4 . ▁He ▁then ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Edinburgh ▁to ▁study ▁div inity . ▁He ▁was ▁lic ensed ▁to ▁pre ach ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 5 0 ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁University of ▁Aber de en ▁to ▁lecture ▁in ▁moral ▁philosophy , ▁becoming ▁a ▁professor ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 2 , ▁based ▁at ▁Mar isch al ▁College . ▁From ▁ 1 7 6 0 ▁to ▁ 1 7 7 1 ▁he ▁was ▁professor ▁of ▁div inity ▁at ▁Mar isch al , ▁moving ▁to ▁King ' s ▁College ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 1 . ▁As ▁a ▁professor ▁he ▁introduced ▁various ▁re forms . ▁During ▁this ▁time ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁minister s ▁of ▁the ▁city , ▁serving ▁at ▁Grey fri ars ▁Church . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Aber de en ▁Philosoph ical ▁Society , ▁founded ▁by ▁Prof ▁John ▁Gregory ▁and ▁including ▁members ▁such ▁as ▁Prof ▁Thomas ▁Gordon . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 3 ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁co - found er ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ▁of ▁Edinburgh . ▁ ▁He ▁died ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁January ▁ 1 7 9 5 . ▁ ▁Publications ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 5 6 ▁he ▁gained ▁the ▁prize ▁for ▁an ▁Ess ay ▁on ▁T aste ▁which , ▁together ▁with ▁an ▁Ess ay ▁on ▁Gen ius , ▁he