Why did Thomas Reid reject David Hume’s skepticism?

Thomas Reid rejected the skepticism of David Hume because he believed it was fundamentally incompatible with common sense and the practical realities of human life, such as the existence of a material world and personal identity.1

Reid argued that Hume’s skepticism was the logical, yet absurd, conclusion of the "theory of ideas" inherited from philosophers like René Descartes and John Locke. This theory posited that the mind is only directly aware of its own internal ideas rather than external objects themselves. Reid rejected this premise, proposing instead that sensations directly "suggest" the existence of material objects to the mind.123

By establishing a philosophy of common sense, Reid maintained that certain beliefs are naturally held by all people—philosophers and laborers alike—and do not require theoretical justification. While some critics, including Immanuel Kant, argued that Reid merely sidestepped Hume’s challenges rather than refuting them, Reid’s approach remained a significant response to the skeptical trends of the 18th century.23