Estudi elaborat a partir d’una estada a la School of Modern Languages de la University of London, Gran Bretanya, entre agost i desembre del 2006. L’objectiu de la recerca consisteix en exposar el moviment empirista a través de Hume, Locke, Berkeley i altres filòsofs del segle XVIII. A més, s’analitza la filosofia escocesa del sentit comú, ja que va influenciar la filosofia catalana durant la “Renaixença”. El seu fundador, Thomas Reid, és conegut perquè va introduir una filosofia que no seguia l’escepticisme dels filòsofs citats. Sintetitzant, Hume va afirmar que l’experiència del sentit consisteix exclusivament en idees o impressions subjectives en la ment. Una resposta aquest “sistema ideal” va ser la filosofia del sentit comú que es va desenvolupar com a reacció a l’escepticisme de David Hume i altres filòsofs escocesos. Contra aquest “sistema ideal” la nova escola considera que l’experiència ordinària dels homes dona instintivament certes creences de la pròpia existència; de la existència dels objectes reals directament percebuts; i de “principis bàsics” basats en creences morals i religioses. Entre 1816 a 1870 la doctrina escocesa va ser adoptada com a filosofia oficial a França. Els seus principis van obtenir força a través de Víctor Cousin i de la traducció de les obres de Thomas Reid al francès per Jouffroy. Serà doncs, a partir de les traduccions franceses que Ramon Martí d’Eixalà va introduir a Catalunya la filosofia escocesa (no existeix cap prova que Martí d’Eixalà hagués conegut les versions angleses de les obres de Reid). En conclusió, el moviment escocès del sentit comú va influenciar l’escola catalana de filosofia.

Report for the scientific sojourn at the University of London, United Kingdom, from august to december 2006. The aim of this research is to analyse the empiricist movement through Hume, Locke, Berkeley and others philosophers of the eighteenth century. Additionally, the Common Sense philosophy has become an important part of this research because this influenced Catalan philosophy during the “Renaixença” (the nineteenth century Catalan literary movement). Its founder Thomas Reid is known for having tried to base his philosophy on empirical foundations which would not lead to the scepticism which he found in the above mentioned philosophers. Briefly, Hume said that sense experience consists exclusively of ideas or subjective impressions in the mind. An answer to this “ideal system” was Common Sense philosophy. So, the philosophy of common sense developed as a reaction against the scepticism of David Hume and other earlier philosophers. Against this “ideal system” and its sceptical outcome, the new school maintained that the ordinary experience of all men gives intuitively certain assurance of the existence of the self, the existence of real objects directly perceived, and certain “first principles” upon which sound morality and religious beliefs may be established. This movement sometimes goes by the name of the Scottish school or Scottish Realism. From 1816 to 1870 the Scottish doctrine was adopted as the official philosophy of France. These principles of the Scottish school became a force in France through their adoption by Victor Cousin and through the translation of Reid’s Works into French by Jouffroy. Through French translations, Ramon Martí d’Eixalà introduced into Catalonia Scottish philosophy (there isn’t any proof that he had known the original English versions of Reid’s Work). In conclusion, Scottish Realism influence upon philosophy has become evident in the realistic schools of thought like the Catalan School of philosophy.