reid

reid — noun

1. Thomas Reid (1710–1796), a Scottish philosopher who founded the Scottish School

1.nounC2
Definition

Thomas Reid (1710–1796), a Scottish philosopher who founded the Scottish School of Common Sense. He argued that ordinary human experience gives us direct and reliable knowledge of the world, and he rejected the idea that we only know our own mental impressions.

Example

Students of ethics still read Reid's Essays on the Active Powers of Man.

proper noun capitalisation: Reid's

Reid believed that ordinary perception gives us direct knowledge of the world around us.

philosophical context: common-sense realism

Common collocations
  • Reid's philosophy
  • Reid argued that...
  • common-sense realism

Grammar Patterns

capitalised when referring to the person

Usage Note

The surname is pronounced /riːd/ (same as 'reed'). In academic contexts, Thomas Reid is often called 'the founder of common-sense philosophy'. His ideas are frequently compared with those of David Hume, his contemporary.

Word family

  • Reidian
    adjectiveC2

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

Old EnglishScotsEnglish

Reid is a Scottish and Northern Irish surname of multiple origins. As a Scottish surname it is a variant of Read or Reed, from Old English read (red), likely referring to complexion or hair colour. Thomas Reid (1710–1796) is the most famous bearer in philosophy.