John Simson

Article summary

John Simson (1667–1740) was a Scottish "New Licht" theologian, involved in a long investigation of alleged heresy. He was suspended from teaching as Professor of Divinity at the University of Glasgow for his later life.

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1667-07-13 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of death: 1733 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of death: 1740-02-02 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1667-07-13". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of death is "1733". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of death is "1740-02-02". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
6. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1351007199