An Inquiry into the Human Mind on the Principles of Common Sense: A Critical Edition [Paperback]

Thomas Reid (Author), Derek R. Brookes (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2001

A critically edited text of Thomas Reid’s Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man. <P>Thomas Reid’s Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man (1785) is widely recognized by intellectual historians, historians of philosophy, and contemporary philosophers as a major philosophical text. It played a central role in the Scottish Enlightenment, presenting a clear and powerful alternative to David Hume’s skepticism. Intellectual Powers continues to inspire and challenge the work of leading epistemologists and moral philosophers today. <P>This edition makes available, in a scholarly yet accessible manner, not only a critically edited text of the Intellectual Powers but also complete manuscript evidence relating to its composition. <P>Thomas Reid (1710–96) was born near Aberdeen and educated at Marischal College. His major work, An Inquiry into the Human Mind on the Principles of Common Sense, was published in 1764, the year in which he accepted appointment as Professor of Moral <P>Philosophy at the University of Glasgow.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In this critical edition of An Inquiry Into the Human Mind, Reid s classic eighteenth-century treatise in the philosophy of mind appears with supplementary manuscripts and correspondence that, along with a crack editing job, provide the context for a rich understanding of this work." --Marc Baer, Review of Metaphysics

About the Author

Derek R. Brookes is an independent scholar and the editor of Thomas Reid: An Inquiry Into the Human Mind on the Principles of Common Sense (Penn State, 1996).

Product Details

• Paperback: 345 pages
• Publisher: Pennsylvania State Univ Pr (Txt); Critical edition (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0271020717
• ISBN-13: 978-0271020716
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #978,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Edition of a Great Work, May 26, 2006

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This review is from: An Inquiry into the Human Mind on the Principles of Common Sense: A Critical Edition (Paperback)

Reid's philosophy was very influential in the early nineteenth century. Unfortunately, his fame declined. But contemporary analytic philosophers recognize his contribution, and Reid is again very influential. Reid is a philosopher of historical importance and contemporary relevance.

Reid's Inquiry established him as Hume's most brilliant critic. Reid treats Hume's scepticism as a reductio against the theory of ideas, offers some independent objection to the theory, and replaces this theory with a more accurate account of the human mind. Reid's method is characterized by careful empirical observation along with keen philosophical analysis and argument.

I think that Reid's style is more beautiful and engaging than that of any of his predecessors; he writes lucidly, elegantly and with sharp wit. The Inquiry is also shorter than Reid's subsequent masterpiece, "Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man".

However, I think that Reid's Essays are better than the Inquiry; the Essays are better organised and more comprehensive. While the Inquiry is a hint of things to come, it is no replacement for the Essays. I recommend both the Inquiry and the Essays.

This edition of the Inquiry includes a nice introduction, and some manuscript material relating to the Inquiry. I think that the most interesting of the latter is the exchange of letters between Hume and Reid. There are also helpful explanatory and textual notes. Every serious scholar and student of Reid will want this critical edition of the Inquiry.

I also recommend the critical edition of Reid's Essays published in the same series as this volume. Fortunately, unlike the Essays in this series, the Inquiry comes in a relatively cheap paperback edition. I have also posted a review of the edition of the Essays in this series on amazon.com, where I suggest some other editions. But I think that the editions in this series are the best, albeit not the cheapest.