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Single Idea 23678
[filed under theme 20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 3. Acting on Reason / a. Practical reason
]
Full Idea
A motive is equally incapable of action and of passion; because it is not a thing that exists, but a thing that is conceived. …Motives may be compared to advice or exhortation.
Gist of Idea
A motive is merely an idea, like advice, and not a force for action
Source
Thomas Reid (Essays on Active Powers 4: Liberty of Agents [1788], 4)
Book Ref
Reid,Thomas: 'Inquiry and Essays', ed/tr. Beanblossom /K.Lehrer [Hackett 1983], p.335
A Reaction
We say people are motivated by greed or anger or love, which seems a bit stronger than mere advice.
The
72 ideas
from Thomas Reid
11874
|
Real identity admits of no degrees
[Reid]
|
23649
|
No one thinks two sheets possess a single whiteness, but all agree they are both white
[Reid]
|
23648
|
First we notice and name attributes ('abstracting'); then we notice that subjects share them ('generalising')
[Reid]
|
23652
|
We must first conceive things before we can consider them
[Reid]
|
23651
|
Universals are not objects of sense and cannot be imagined - but can be conceived
[Reid]
|
23650
|
Only individuals exist
[Reid]
|
20051
|
Reid said that agent causation is a unique type of causation
[Reid, by Stout,R]
|
8383
|
Day and night are constantly conjoined, but they don't cause one another
[Reid, by Crane]
|
23665
|
Consciousness is the power of mind to know itself, and minds are grounded in powers
[Reid]
|
23666
|
It is obvious that there could not be a power without a subject which possesses it
[Reid]
|
23664
|
Powers are quite distinct and simple, and so cannot be defined
[Reid]
|
23668
|
Our own nature attributes free determinations to our own will
[Reid]
|
23667
|
Regular events don't imply a cause, without an innate conviction of universal causation
[Reid]
|
23669
|
Thinkers say that matter has intrinsic powers, but is also passive and acted upon
[Reid]
|
23670
|
Scientists don't know the cause of magnetism, and only discover its regulations
[Reid]
|
23671
|
Laws are rules for effects, but these need a cause; rules of navigation don't navigate
[Reid]
|
23549
|
We treat testimony with a natural trade off of belief and caution
[Reid, by Fricker,M]
|
23646
|
Reference is by name, or a term-plus-circumstance, or ostensively, or by description
[Reid]
|
23645
|
A word's meaning is the thing conceived, as fixed by linguistic experts
[Reid]
|
23647
|
Objects have an essential constitution, producing its qualities, which we are too ignorant to define
[Reid]
|
11958
|
Impossibilites are easily conceived in mathematics and geometry
[Reid, by Molnar]
|
6492
|
Reid is seen as the main direct realist of the eighteenth century
[Reid, by Robinson,H]
|
23634
|
Accepting the existence of anything presupposes the notion of existence
[Reid]
|
23635
|
Truths are self-evident to sensible persons who understand them clearly without prejudice
[Reid]
|
23637
|
Primary qualities are the object of mathematics
[Reid]
|
23638
|
Secondary qualities conjure up, and are confused with, the sensations which produce them
[Reid]
|
23639
|
It is unclear whether a toothache is in the mind or in the tooth, but the word has a single meaning
[Reid]
|
23640
|
Only mature minds can distinguish the qualities of a body
[Reid]
|
23641
|
People dislike believing without evidence, and try to avoid it
[Reid]
|
23642
|
If non-rational evidence reaches us, it is reason which then makes use of it
[Reid]
|
7631
|
Sensation is not committed to any external object, but perception is
[Reid]
|
23653
|
If you can't distinguish the features of a complex object, your notion of it would be a muddle
[Reid]
|
23656
|
The structure of languages reveals a uniformity in basic human opinions
[Reid]
|
23654
|
In obscure matters the few must lead the many, but the many usually lead in common sense
[Reid]
|
23655
|
An ad hominem argument is good, if it is shown that the man's principles are inconsistent
[Reid]
|
23657
|
The existence of tensed verbs shows that not all truths are necessary truths
[Reid]
|
23660
|
The theory of ideas, popular with philosophers, means past existence has to be proved
[Reid]
|
23659
|
If someone denies that he is thinking when he is conscious of it, we can only laugh
[Reid]
|
23662
|
The existence of ideas is no more obvious than the existence of external objects
[Reid]
|
23661
|
We are only aware of other beings through our senses; without that, we are alone in the universe
[Reid]
|
23658
|
Consciousness is an indefinable and unique operation
[Reid]
|
23663
|
There are axioms of taste - such as a general consensus about a beautiful face
[Reid]
|
23676
|
A willed action needs reasonable understanding of what is to be done
[Reid]
|
23677
|
We all know that mere priority or constant conjunction do not have to imply causation
[Reid]
|
23678
|
A motive is merely an idea, like advice, and not a force for action
[Reid]
|
23679
|
The principle of the law of nature is that matter is passive, and is acted upon
[Reid]
|
23680
|
We are morally free, because we experience it, we are accountable, and we pursue projects
[Reid]
|
23681
|
The first motion or effect cannot be produced necessarily, so the First Cause must be a free agent
[Reid]
|
23644
|
Without memory we could have no concept of duration
[Reid]
|
23643
|
We all trust our distinct memories (but not our distinct imaginings)
[Reid]
|
1350
|
Continuity is needed for existence, otherwise we would say a thing existed after it ceased to exist
[Reid]
|
21322
|
We treat slowly changing things as identical for the sake of economy in language
[Reid]
|
21320
|
Identity is familiar to common sense, but very hard to define
[Reid]
|
1352
|
Thoughts change continually, but the self doesn't
[Reid]
|
1356
|
A person is a unity, and doesn't come in degrees
[Reid]
|
1359
|
Personal identity is the basis of all rights, obligations and responsibility
[Reid]
|
21319
|
I can hardly care about rational consequence if it wasn't me conceiving the antecedent
[Reid]
|
21323
|
The identity of a thief is only known by similarity, but memory gives certainty in our own case
[Reid]
|
21321
|
Memory reveals my past identity - but so does testimony of other witnesses
[Reid]
|
21325
|
Boy same as young man, young man same as old man, old man not boy, if forgotten!
[Reid]
|
21324
|
If consciousness is transferable 20 persons can be 1; forgetting implies 1 can be 20
[Reid]
|
21327
|
If a stolen horse is identified by similitude, its identity is not therefore merely similitude
[Reid]
|
1366
|
If consciousness is personal identity, it is continually changing
[Reid]
|
1367
|
Identity can only be affirmed of things which have a continued existence
[Reid]
|
23629
|
The ambiguity of words impedes the advancement of knowledge
[Reid]
|
23630
|
Only philosophers treat ideas as objects
[Reid]
|
23633
|
Many truths seem obvious, and point to universal agreement - which is what we find
[Reid]
|
23632
|
Similar effects come from similar causes, and causes are only what are sufficient for the effects
[Reid]
|
23674
|
If an attempted poisoning results in benefits, we still judge the agent a poisoner
[Reid]
|
23672
|
To be virtuous, we must care about duty
[Reid]
|
23673
|
Every worthy man has a principle of honour, and knows what is honourable
[Reid]
|
23675
|
We shouldn't do to others what would be a wrong to us in similar circumstances
[Reid]
|