Reid's Realism vs. Idealism

Reid argues against the idealist notion that our perceptions are mere representations, insisting instead that our sensations provide genuine access to external objects. He highlights that while figures like Berkeley claimed we only know our ideas, Reid contends that we can directly connect our sensory experiences to real-world entities. Concepts such as God and evolution are introduced to explain the reliability of our cognitive faculties, positing that they are designed to produce accurate models of the world around us. Consequently, he views the act of thinking about physical objects as a legitimate exercise, despite the challenges of direct perception.