John Daniel Morell British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 educationalist, was born at Little Baddow, Essex

Essex

Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

, where his father was minister of the Congregational church (1799-1852).

Morell proceeded to Homerton College

Independent College, Homerton

Independent College, Homerton, later Homerton Academy, was a dissenting academy just outside London, England, in the 18th and early 19th centuries.-Background:...

 in 1833, where he studied theology under John Pye Smith. He then entered the University of Glasgow

University of Glasgow

The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...

, where he took his M.A. degree in 1841. Subsequently he studied philosophy

Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...

 and theology

Theology

Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...

 under Fichte

Immanuel Hermann Fichte

Immanuel Hermann von Fichte was a German philosopher and son of Johann Gottlieb Fichte. In his philosophy, he was a theist and strongly opposed to the Hegelian School.-Life:...

 at Bonn

University of Bonn

The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...

, and returned to England to undertake the pastorate of the Congregational church at Gosport

Gosport

Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...

.

After three years work, Morell decided to give up the ministry in favor of philosophical work. As early as 1846 he made his name by his Historical and Critical View of the Speculative Philosophy of Europe in the Nineteenth Century, which brought him to the notice of Lord Lansdowne

Henry Petty-FitzMaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne

Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne KG, PC, FRS , known as Lord Henry Petty from 1784 to 1809 and then as The Earl of Kerry to 1818, was a British statesman...

, who made him an inspector of schools. From 1848 till 1876 he was active in this capacity.

As a result of his experience he published numerous educational works, e.g.:

• The Analysis of Sentences (1852)
• The Essentials of English Grammar and Analysis (1855)
• Handbook of Logic (1855)
• Grammar of the English Language (1857)

He also published four lectures on:

• The Philosophical Tendencies of the Age (1848)
• The Philosophy of Religion (1849)
• Fichte's Contributions to Moral Philosophy (1860)
• Philosophical Fragments (1878)
• An Introduction to Mental Philosophy on the Inductive Method (1884).