Thomas Reid (1710-1796)

Natural and moral philosopher

Thomas Reid was educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen and went on to become its Librarian in 1733. Four years later he was inducted as minister of New Machar. From 1751 to 1764 he held the chair of philosophy at King's College Aberdeen and succeeded Adam Smith as professor of Moral Philosophy at Glasgow until his retirement in 1781. His 'Inquiry into the Human Mind on the Principles of Common Sense' (1764) sought to refute the empiricism of David Hume. He greatly influenced Dugald Stewart who went on to found the 'common sense' school of philosophical thought in Scotland.

Birth in 1710

Thomas Reid was baptised on 28 April 1710, the son of Lodovick Reid, minister. The entry in the Old Parish Register for Strachan in the county of Kincardineshire doesn't include his mother's name.

Baptism entry for Thomas Reid (18 KB jpeg)
National Records of Scotland, OPR 268/1 

Testament of Thomas Reid

National Records of Scotland, CC9/7/76 pp 534-547

Thomas Reid's wife, Elizabeth, died in 1792. Of their nine children, only their daughter Martha survived him. It is to her that he leaves his possessions.

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