REID, THOMAS, was b. April 26, 1710, at Strachan, a country parish in Kincardine shire. where his father was minister. His mother belonged to the well known family the Gregories (q.v.). Reid began his education at the parish-school of Kincardine, and at the age of 12 he became a student of Marischal college in Aberdeen. His master in philosophy was Dr. G. Turnbull, one of the earliest representatives of the properly Scottish school. He took his degree of M.A. in 1726, and continued to reside in Aber deen as college librarian, his chief studies being mathematics and the philosophy of New ton. In 1736 he left Aberdeen, and went, in company with a friend, to England, where he was introduced to the most distinguished men in Oxford, Cambridge, and London. In the following year lie was presented by the senatus of King's college to the parish church of New year in Aberdeenshire. The parishioners were bitterly opposed to his appointment, but his conduct and manner gradually won them over. It is said that. from distrust of his powers, instead of composing for the pulpit himself, he preached the sermons of time English divines Tillotson and Evans. In 1740 he was married to a cousin of his own, who greatly aided him in the work of his parish. In 1739 Hume's Treatise on Human Nature appeared; the perusal of which gave the impulse that deter mined his future philosophical career. He had fully adopted the idealism of Berkeley, but was now revolted by the conclusions drawn from it by Hume, and in consequence was led to seek a new foundation for the common notions as to a material world. In 1784 lie contributed to the royal society of London a short essay on Quantity, occasioned by what he considered an abusive application, by Hutcheson, of the forms of mathe matical reasoning to ethics. In 1752 he was appointed one of the professors of pilau:. ophy in King's college, Aberdeen, the senatus being the patrons of the chair here he followed the established course of teaching in three successive years to the same students, mathematics, natural philosophy, and moral philosophy. He took an active part in all the business of the university. Ile was also the founder of a literary society in Aberdeen, which enrolled among its members:, Campbell. Beattie, Gerrard, and other
men of ability; to this society he submitted his first draft of the Inquiry into the Hama n Mind. In 1763 he was chosen to succeed Adam Smith as professor of moral philosophy in the university of Glasgow. He was now rescued from the necessity of teaching physical science, and devoted himself thenceforth to metaphysical and mental specu lations. In 1764 he published his Inquiry. His thirst for genera] science never left him: at the age of 55. he attended Black's lectures on heat. He continued in the duties of his chair till 1781, when lie retired to devote his remaining strength to the publica tion of his works on the mind. In 1785 the Philosophy of the Intellectual Powers appeared; and in 1788 the Active Powers. These treatises must always he looked upon as constituting the first complete and systematic work on the science of the human mind.. In 1774 he had contributed his account of Aristotle's logic to lord Iiames's Sketches. The publication of the Active Powers was the close of his career as an author, although to the end of his life he kept up his bodily and mental vigor, and his inter est in science. His only surviving daughter had married the sou of Gershom Car michael (the real founder of the Scottish school of philosophy); she it was that, after the death of his wife, in 1792, cared for him in his last years. He was taken ill sud denly in the autumn of 1796, and died Oct. 7. He was under the middle size, but had great muscular stength, and was addicted to exercise in the open air.
Reid had many points of resemblance to his contemporary Kant. Both were occupied up to middle life with mathematical and physical studies; both were roused to metap:iysical research by Hume, and each became in his own country the chief of a school whose aim was to deliver philosophy from skepticism, and to do so by resting tinalty on principles of intuitive, or a-priori origin.
Reid's refutation of Berkeley, notwithstanding the powerful support of Hamilton, is now considared by many to be a failure. His own account of the motives that led him to abandon idealism proves that lie completely misconceived the real drift of that fatuous speculation.