Editing Thomas Reid (section)

===Other philosophical positions===
Though known mainly for his epistemology, Reid is also noted for his views in the [[action theory (philosophy)|theory of action]] and the metaphysics of [[personal identity]]. Reid held an [[incompatibilism|incompatibilist]] or libertarian notion of freedom, holding that we are capable of free actions of which we are the cause, and for which we are morally appraisable.<ref>''Essays on the Active Powers'', "Essay Four: Of the Liberty of Moral Agents"</ref> Regarding personal identity,  he rejected Locke's account that self-consciousness in the form of memory of one's experiences was the basis of a person's being identical with their self over time. Reid held that continuity of memory was neither necessary nor sufficient to make one numerically the same person at different times.<ref>''Essays on the Intellectual Powers'', "Essay Three: Of Memory".</ref>
Reid also argued that the operation of our mind connecting sensations with belief in an external world is accounted for only by an intentional Creator. In his natural religion lectures, Reid provides five arguments for the [[existence of God]], focusing on two mainly, the cosmological and design. Reid loved and frequently used Samuel Clarke's cosmological argument, which says, in short that the universe either has always been, or began to exist, so there must be a cause (or first principle) for both (Cuneo and Woudenberg 242). As everything is either necessary or contingent, an Independent being is required for contingency (Cuneo and Woudenberg 242). Reid spends even more time on his design argument, but is unclear exactly what he wanted his argument to be, as his lectures only went as far as his students needed. Though there is no perfect interpretation, Reid states that "there are in fact the clearest marks of design and wisdom in the works of nature" (Cuneo and Woudenberg 291) If something carries marks of design (regularity or variety of structure), there must be an intelligent being behind it (Reid EIP 66). This can't be known by experience, fitting with the casual excellence principle, but the cause can be seen in works of nature (Cuneo and Woudenberg 241).