Publication Details

Abstract

The paper offers a discussion of the concept of common sense in T. Reid’s philosophy. Reid criticizes Hume’s skepticism, which is in conflict with common sense, as a “deadlock of philosophy”. Reid’s criticism thus might be seen as naive and “unphilosophical”, and therefore missing the point. The author argues, however, that common sense, as used by Reid, is a metaphysical concept. In his view common sense and its principles delimit all plausible philosophizing. He also sees a remarkable affinity between Reid’s philosophy and later Wittgenstein’s conside- rations of “the image of the world”. Reid’s philosophy of common sense is an original philosophical resolution of the problem, which the philosophy “in a dead- lock” is facing, as well as an effective criticism of skepticism.