Our faculties to believe are trustworthy. Thomas Reid's epistemology regards this self-confidence in the belief-faculties as metaprinciple of all the “first principles of contingent truths” (Intellectual Powers, VI. 5.) In this paper I clarify the systematic meaning of trust epistemology by reconsidering Hume's “total scepticism” (Treatise, I, IV, 1). Hume misunderstood his argument. Fallibility of our reasoning faculty does not lead to “total extinction” of our beliefs, but means at most negative “presumption” (Reid) in evaluating our beliefs. Epistemological naturalism (H. O. Mounce) attaches importance to the natural authority of reason, which Hume disregarded. Reid's trust epistemology embodies the consistent version of epistemological naturalism.
