Paul Wood, The Hagiography of Common Sense: Dugald Stewarts account of the life and

writings of Thomas Reid

n Philosophy, its History and Historiography !pp" #$%&#''(
p" #$% the image of Reid created )y Stewart conflicts with )oth the perceptions of
contemporaries and the e*idence of Reids sur*i*ing manuscripts" +Wood insists on Reid as a
mathematician and naturalist,
p" #$- Through the medium of pu)lic discourse, Stewart was seemingly attempting to
distance himself from the arena of political contro*ersy, )y emphasi.ing the apolitical aspects
of Reids career, and hence of the philosophers role"
Two /ey passages in the Account support this interpretation" Stewart )egan his )iography )y
presenting Reids life as a welcome respite from the political turmoil in 0urope"
p" #$1 Stewarts apparently straightforward solution to the pro)lem of reconstructing his
su)2ects intellectual )iography introduced a systematic !#3$( )ias, for he restricted himself
largely to e*idence ta/en from Reids pu)lished wor/s, rather than e4ploiting the e4tensi*e
collection of manuscripts to which he had access" +Wood says that mas/s Reids
mathematical wor/s, )ut could also )e said that mas/s his political wor/s,
p" #3# While Reid himself, according to Stewart, failed to apply the philosophy of mind to its
practical uses, his importance as a philosopher lay in his attempt to carry out the preliminary
analysis of our intellectual and acti*e powers in accordance with the canons of the strict
inducti*e method" Stewart also included a *indication of the moral philosophers role in
society in his concluding encomium on Reids character" He remar/ed that Reids efforts as
an educator would 5in the 2udgement of the wise and good, ha*e ran/ed him in the first order
of useful citi.ens6 """ Stewart was here urging the social utility of a role fulfilled )y )oth Reid
and himself" 7s we ha*e seen, in defining this role Stewart was trying to recreate a particular
social niche for himself in response to his political and social isolation in 0din)urgh during
the 3-1$s"
!#38( Reids e4emplification of the rules of a strictly inducti*e method was ta/en to )e his
signal contri)ution to philosophy"
!#39( 7s his numerous references to the writings of the philosophes suggest, Stewarts
understanding of Reids philosophy was shaped to some e4tent )y his awareness of
philosophical currents in :rance during the eighteenth century" His emphasis on the analytical
method and on the methodological categories of analysis and synthesis can perhaps )e seen
as reflecting the influence of Condillac and d7lem)ert, since Reid made neither e4tensi*e
not significant use of the analysis&synthesis distinction" Stewart also seems to ha*e )een
influenced )y the reception gi*en the Reids Inquiry )y his 0din)urgh teachers 7dam
:erguson and ;ames Russell, for he recalled that in their lectures on moral and natural
philosophy they particularly welcomed Reids methodological approach"
!#3<( Stewarts later Dissertation""" fi4ed the image of Reid initially s/etched in the Account"
=ess a disinterested history of philosophy than an e4tended polemic, the Dissertation was a
nationalistic cele)ration of the achie*ements of what Stewart was the first to call the >school6
of Scottish philosophy, and a *indication of Reids originality and merit as compared with the
pretentions of ?ant and his @erman followers" While significant historiographical
inno*ations occurred in the Aictorian era, these two wor/s, more than any other, ha*e shaped
our understanding of Reids career and writings" Thus Stewarts historiography, as modified
in the nineteenth century, continues to dominate the study of the life and wor/ of Thomas
Reid" 7s ha*e argued, Stewarts portrait of Reid reflects his academic and political
predicament in 0din)urgh at the turn of the nineteenth century, and his own philosophical
preoccupations"