6 Quotes & Sayings By Thomas Reid

Thomas Reid was born in 1710, in the parish of Linton, near Berwick-upon-Tweed, on Tweedside. He was probably the oldest of five sons of Robert Reid, farmer and tanner. His father died when he was about sixteen years old, so Reid had to support the family on his own. He was an excellent scholar, particularly of Greek and Hebrew Read more

When he was about twenty-three years old he became assistant minister at Linton church. After some years he moved to Alnwick, where he did some writing for the press. At the age of thirty-five he became minister of Eccles church, Berwick; and three years later (1752) succeeded Dr.

Currie at St. Mary's church, Newcastle. He married Elizabeth Peacock (daughter of William Peacock), with whom he had six children; but she died in 1763.

In 1773 Reid became minister of St. Nicholas Kirk, Newcastle; and in 1776 resigned that charge in order to become professor of divinity at Edinburgh University, where he died on November 2, 1787.

1
If there is anything that can be called genius it consists chiefly in the ability to give that attention to a subject which keeps it steadily in the mind till we have surveyed it accurately on all sides. Thomas Reid
2
Every conjecture we can form with regard to the works of God has as little probability as the conjectures of a child with regard to the works of a man. Thomas Reid
3
There is no greater impediment to the advancement of knowledge than the ambiguity of words. Thomas Reid
4
But when, in the first setting out, he takes it for granted without proof, that distinctions found in the structure of all languages, have no foundation in nature; this surely is too fastidious a way of treating the common sense of mankind. Thomas Reid
5
The rules of navigation never navigated a ship. The rules of architecture never built a house. Thomas Reid