Thomas Reid and the Story of Epistemology

The two great philosophical figures at the culminating point of the Enlightenment are Thomas Reid in Scotland and Immanuel Kant in Germany. Reid was by far the most influential across Europe and the United States well into the nineteenth century. Since that time his fame and influence have been eclipsed by his German contemporary. This important book by one of today’s leading philosophers of knowledge and religion will do much to reestablish the significance of Reid for philosophy today. Nicholas Wolterstorff has produced the first systematic account of Reid’s epistemology. Relating Reid’s philosophy to present-day epistemological discussions the author demonstrates how they are at once remarkably timely, relevant, and provocative. No other book both uncovers the deep pattern of Reid’s thought and relates it to contemporary philosophical debate. This book should be read by historians of philosophy as well as all philosophers concerned with epistemology and the philosophy of mind.

• Prominent philosopher with two previous Cambridge titles • Major reexamination of critical figure in the history of philosophy • A philosopher who once eclipsed Kant, now in the German philosopher’s shadow

Preface; 1. Reid’s questions; 2. The way of ideas: structure and motivation; 3. Reid\'s opening attack: nothing is explained; 4. The attack continues: there’s not the resemblance; 5. Reid’s analysis of perception: the standard schema; 6. An exception (or two) to Reid’s Standard Schema; 7. The epistemology of testimony; 8. Reid’s way with the skeptic; 9. Common sense; 10. In conclusion: living wisely in the darkness; Index.

‘This is by far the best book I have read on the philosophy of Reid. It contains a wonderfully clear exposition, and a certain amount of critical comment, all of it well aimed and as lucid as the expository parts of the work … I have no doubt that Wolterstorff’s book will help to swell the number of Reid enthusiasts.’

– Alexander Broadie, University of Glasgow

‘Wolterstorff strikes the right balance between precision and fidelity to Reid’s text, and a briskly-paced treatment that enables the reader to keep the main lines of Reid’s thought in mind without having to be constantly reminded of them. This, along with the book’s manageable size and eminent readability, should assure the book a wide audience, including a substantial ‘crossover’ group between history, epistemology, and history of philosophy.’

– Stephen Darwall, University of Michigan