James Reid

James Reid was appointed Public Professor of Metaphysics at Edinburgh University in 1620.

Biography

Reid studied under John Adamson at Edinburgh University and graduated MA in July 1600.

He went to work as Regent at Marischal College, Aberdeen, and in 1600 competed in a public trial for a vacant Regentship at Edinburgh. He was unsuccessful but the Town Council promised to hold the next vacancy open for him. He was accordingly appointed Regent at Edinburgh in December 1601 following the resignation of William Craig. He became one of the University’s longest-serving Regents, accompanying classes through to laureation in 1603, 1607, 1609, 1613, 1617, and 1621. According to Thomas Craufurd, this was a 'flourishing time of the Universitie’, as Young and his fellow regents were 'both able and painful [i.e. conscientious]'. They acquired ‘much authority’ through the combination of 'long experience' and 'knowledge'. As the country itself was enjoying 'a deep calme of peace', the 'followers of learning' were offered 'many great occasions of encouragement'. On 19 July 1617, Young was one of the regents and professos commanded by King James to participate in a disputation before him at Stirling Castle. " Young disputed upon the Aristotelian theory of Local Motion, prompting the King to pun that 'Mr. Young is very old in Aristotle'. In 1620, Young was appointed Public Professor of Mathematics, which required him to give two public lectures a week, in addition to his duties as Regent of Philosophy. This was a small but significant step towards specialization and the creation of a faculty system. Young died in office in 1623.

Sources

• Thomas Craufurd, History of the University of Edinburgh, from 1580 to 1646: To Which is Prefixed the Charter Granted to the College by James VI of Scotland, in 1582 (Edinburgh: Printed by A. Neill & Co., 1808)
• Sir Alexander Grant, The Story of the University of Edinburgh during its First Three Hundred Years, 2 vols (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1884)