Thomas reid and the evolution of the idea of the specious-present

Thomas Reid and the Evolution of the Idea of the Specious-Present 1 Abstract : This paper examines the historical contribution of Thomas Reid's Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man (1785) to the debate over time-consciousness and in particular to the evolution of the idea of the specious-present This ob!ective is motivated b" the fact that onl" parts of Reid'sanal"sis of temporal experience are discussed no#ada"s $n particular% #hileReid's ar&ument concernin& the instantaneous nature of perception is oftencited% its metaph"sical context is not full" appreciated $t is 'illiam ames'o#n reference to Reid in the course of formulatin& the idea of the specious-present in his Principles of Psychology (18*) #hich is the catal"st for thispaper ames' comment invites a broader perspective on Reid's anal"sis andbrin&s to the fore the uni+ue role that Reid attributed to the idea of duration instructurin& our experience $t is this role and the experiential immediac" #hichit implies% that explain Reid's historical role in the formation of the idea of thespecious-present