Thomas Reid
Thomas Reid (1710-1796) was a philosopher best known as the founder of the "Scottish school of common sense," a philosophical movement very prominent in the English-speaking world and France in the late 18th century and early 19th century. He was also a leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment. He is, along with the English philosopher G. E. Moore, probably the best-known proponent of the general view that common sense serves as a foundation for knowledge.
To understand this view, it is very important to note what "common sense" means, however, for Reid (and his followers). While Reid's definition[1] probably will not clarify matters for the average reader, he did lay out a number of signs that a certain proposition is a "first principle" known by common sense. Generally, they are propositions that we cannot help but believe, if we are psychologically healthy, even if out of skepticism we try. Moreover, denial of the principles of common sense is absurd and so we naturally ridicule their denial; it is possible to construct ad hominem and ad absurdum arguments for them; and they are generally agreed to around the world and throughout history.[2]
Notes
- ↑ In Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man, Essay VI, Ch. II: "This inward light or sense is given by Heaven to different persons in different degrees. There is a certain degree of it which is necessary to our being subjects of law and government, capable of managing our own affairs, and answerable for our conduct towards others: this is called common sense, because it is common to all men whom we can transact business with, or call to account for their conduct." Sixth Edition, ed. William Hamilton and James Walker (Phillips, Sampson, and Co.: New York, 1855), p. 352.
- ↑ Ibid., Essay VI, Ch. III.