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Full Idea
Reid is often represented by modern opponents of the empiricists as the outstanding protagonist of direct or naïve realism and common sense in the eighteenth century.
Gist of Idea
Reid is seen as the main direct realist of the eighteenth century
Source
report of Thomas Reid (Essays on Intellectual Powers 2: Senses [1785]) by Howard Robinson - Perception 1.6
Book Ref
Robinson,Howard: 'Perception' [Routledge 2001], p.19
A Reaction
Robinson does not deny that this is Reid's view. Keith Lehrer is a great fan of Reid. Personally I think direct realism is quite clearly false, so I find myself losing interest in Reid's so-called 'common sense'.
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] |