Hume (休謨)
Outline 1—Theory of Ideas
The materials
1. Why perception—impression & idea—but not merely Lockean idea
Three main reasons:
the distinction between perceiving something and thinking (or reasoning)
something,
experience comes first,
 the rejection of innate ideas.
2. A brief introduction of the issues regarding the distinction between
impressions and ideas
simple and complex impressions and ideas
the relation between simple impressions and simple ideas
the causal correlation between simple impressions and simple ideas
3. Hume’s basic argumentation (by B. Stroud)
(1) There is no thought or mental activity unless there is a perception before the
mind.
(2) Every perception is either an impression or an idea.
(3) Every perception is either simple or complex.
(4) Every complex perception consists completely of simple perceptions.
(5) For every simple idea there is a corresponding simple impression.
(6) Every simple idea arises in the mind as the effect of its corresponding simple
impression.
(7) There are no impressions of reflection without some impression of sensation.
(8) There is no thought or mental activity unless there are impressions of
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sensation.
4. Impressions and innate ideas
weak position
strong position
5. How to infer the causal correlation between simple impressions and simple
ideas from the sole corresponding relation between them
the experimental method of empirical science
the missing link:
(5a) Every Simple idea is preceded into the mind by its corresponding simple
impression.
6. The difference between impressions and ideas and the difference between
feeling and thinking or reasoning
why force and liveliness?
the impressions of sensation as the basis of human thought
counter examples of the distinction made by the degrees of force and liveliness
7. What is the source of impressions?
The principles
8. The associations of ideas
Resemblance, contiguity in time and space, and cause and effect.
9. Abstract ideas
the dilemma of the Lockean explanation
Hume’s account
The problem
10. Is Hume an associationist?
It is a good thing that he is not.
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