William Duff

William Duff (1732–1815) was a Scottish Presbyterian minister and one of the first writers to analyse the nature of genius as a property of human psychology. His Essay on Original Genius is frequently cited as a landmark in the Western analysis of genius and creativity.

Ministry and family Duff was a Scottish minister and M.A., was licensed by the presbytery 25 June 1755, called 18 September, and ordained 8 October, when he was appointed to the parish of Glenbucket, Aberdeenshire. Thence he was transferred to Peterculter in the same county, 24 October 1766, being admitted 4 March 1767. He was nominated minister of Foveran, also in Aberdeenshire, in February 1774, and took up his home a year later. There he got a new church built in 1794, and died father of the synod, 23 February 1815, in the eighty-third year of his age, and sixtieth of his ministry.

Theory of genius Duff was primarily interested in establishing the cognitive traits that explained variance in people's accomplishments.

Family On 4 September 1778, he married Ann Mitchell, by whom he had two sons and four daughters.