Reid on olfaction and secondary qualities.

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Mind
• Epistemology
• History of Philosophy

Background:

• Thomas Reid's dual-component theory posits perception involves sensation and belief.
• Olfactory perception and odors as secondary qualities present interpretive challenges.
• Reid's view on secondary qualities, akin to Locke's, suggests dispositions to cause sensations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore Thomas Reid's account of olfactory perception.
• To reconcile Reid's views on secondary qualities with his general theory of perception.
• To demonstrate the contemporary relevance of Reid's theory of olfaction.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of Thomas Reid's philosophical texts on perception and secondary qualities.
• Examination of Reid's doctrine of "acquired perception" and perceptual learning.
• Philosophical argumentation to reconcile apparent contradictions in Reid's account of olfaction.

Main Results:

• Reid's account of secondary qualities, specifically odors, faces challenges if viewed as mere dispositions.
• The inference of causal relations between odors and sensations complicates noninferential perceptual awareness.
• Reid's "acquired perception" offers a mechanism for direct awareness of odors, integrating learned representations.

Conclusions:

• Reid's theory of acquired perception allows for genuine perceptual acquaintance with odors.
• This reconciles the inferential nature of odor awareness with noninferential perceptual beliefs.
• Reid's philosophy of olfaction remains a viable and coherent model for contemporary perception theories.