Thomas Reid is one of the philosophers of the 18th century, but hitherto under-appreciated; through the reconstruction of his arguments. This work presents and critically examines Thomas Reid's doctrines about the model of human power, the will, our capacities for purposeful conduct, and the place of our agency in the natural world.
Manifest Activity presents and critically examines Thomas Reid's doctrines about the model of human power, the will, our capacities for purposeful conduct, and the place of our agency in the natural world. Reid is one of the most important philosophers of the 18th century, but hitherto under-appreciated; through the reconstruction of his arguments, many of which have never before been discussed, Gideon Yaffe demonstrates that Reid's simple prose and directstyle belie the complexity of the views he advocates and the subtlety of the reasons he offers in their favour. Yaffe's assessment will greatly profit anyone working on current theories of action and free will, as well as historians of ideas.
No one interested in the philosophy of action could fail to be intrigued by Yaffe's study of Reid.
