Essays on the Active Powers of Man

The Scottish philosopher Thomas Reid (1710–1796) first published Essays on Active Powers of Man in 1788 while he was Professor of Philosophy at King's College, Aberdeen. The work contains a set of essays on active power, the will, principles of action, the liberty of moral agents, and morals. Reid was a key figure in the Scottish Enlightenment and one of the founders of the 'common sense' school of philosophy. In Active Powers Reid gives his fullest exploration of sensus communis as the basis of all philosophical inquiry. He uses common sense realism to argue for the existence of a stable external world, the existence of other minds, and to offer a powerful challenge to versions of the Theory of Ideas advocated by Hume (1711–1776) and Locke (1632–1704). This is a key work of the Scottish Enlightenment that made important contributions to fundamental debates about the basis of philosophical inquiry.

Introduction; Essay I. Of Active Power in General: 1. Of the notion of active power; 2. The same subject; 3. Of Mr Locke's account of our idea of power; 4. Of Mr Hume's opinion of the idea of power; 5. Whether beings that have no will nor understanding may have active power?; 6. Of the efficient causes of the phaenomena of nature; 7. Of the extent of human power; Essay II. Of the Will: 1. Observations concerning the will; 2. Of the influence of incitements and motives upon the will; 3. Of operations of mind which may be called voluntary; 4. Corollaries; Essay III. Of the Principles of Action: Part I. Of the Mechanical Principles of Action: 1. Of the principles of action in general; 2. Instinct; 3. Of habit; Part II. Of Animal Principles of Action: 1. Of appetites; 2. Of desires; 3. Of benevolent affection in general; 4. Of the particular benevolent affections; 5. Of malevolent affection; 6. Of passion; 7. Of disposition; 8. Of opinion; Part III. Of the Rational Principles of Action: 1. There are rational principles of action in man; 2. Of regard to our good in the whole; 3. The tendency of this principle; 4. Defects of this principle; 5. Of the notion of duty, rectitude, moral obligation; 6. Of the sense of duty; 7. Of moral approbation and disapprobation; 8. Observations concerning conscience; Essay IV. Of the Liberty of Moral Agents: 1. The notions of moral liberty and necessity stated; 2. Of the words cause and effects, action, and active power; 3. Causes of the ambiguity of those words; 4. Of the influence of motives; 5. Liberty consistent with government; 6. First argument for liberty; 7. Second argument; 8. Third argument; 9. Of arguments for necessity; 10. The same subject; 11. Of the permission of evil; Essay V. Of Morals: 1. Of the first principles of morals; 2. Of systems of morals; 3. Of systems of natural jurisprudence; 4. Whether an action deserving moral approbation, must be done with the belief of its being morally good; 5. Whether justice be a natural or artificial virtue; 6. Of the nature and obligation of a contract; 7. That moral approbation implies a real judgment.

This study of active power, the will, principles of action, the liberty of moral agents, and morals first appeared in 1788. A key work of the Scottish Enlightenment and a foundational text of 'common sense' philosophy, it contains Reid's fullest exploration of sensus communis as the basis of philosophical inquiry.