Reid and the contemporary view of consciousness
pp. 139-159
in: J.C. Smith (ed), Historical foundations of cognitive science, Berlin, Springer, 1991Abstract
In this article I derive a contemporary theory of consciousness from Thomas Reid's philosophical psychology. His work on this subject agrees with much in current cognitive studies, but little effort has been made to interpret it in modern terms.1 This is attributable in part to Reid's own failure to state his views in a precise manner. As a matter of historical fact, Reid may not have clarified his position enough for us to determine textually that he would agree with the details of some particular modern analysis of consciousness. The general account of cognition he provides is quite rigorous, however, and its highly systematic, relational framework lends itself to further specific development.2 What I will claim here, then, is that his theory remains consistent under the following interpretation and that there is at least some significant textual support for it.3
