Title: “Christopher North” A Memoir of John Wilson, Late Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh, compiled from family papers and other sources by his daughter, Mrs. Gordon Author: Mrs. Gordon, Mary Wilson Gordon Published: New York: W. J. Widdleton, 1863. 484-pages. This book is a biography about a Man of Letters, John Wilson.  The term is not really used much anymore.  My Encyclopedia Britannica only has a few lines dedicated to him.  Wikipedia has just a few paragraphs.  However, after reading this book, and thinking about the man, his career, his family, and friends, perhaps it is not Wilson that has lost something by being lost to obscurity, but rather, our loss, a sign of our own decadence and self-centeredness.  We, being society in general, tend to think and act like we are the end in itself.  I believe we have a lot to learn by studying history and people of importance.  How were they able to find and acknowledge the truths they encountered?  What were the reasons why they became who they were?  Who did they influence?  What does this tell us about the human condition in general? In particular?  How can we learn from past…