Henry Imler June 30th, 2005

Here are some notes from Enquiries Concerning Human Understanding and Concerning the Principles of Morals by David Hume on what he called “Mental Contents.”

1. Thoughts and Ideas. Recalling the memory of situations, anticipating future ones
2. Impressions: They are perceptions of the mind that are the most clear. They include our more lively perceptions: when we hear, feel, love, hate, desire and will.
   1. Example: Being angry and thinking about being angry. What is the diffrence between the two?

1. “Impressions are distinguished from ideas when we reflect on any of our sensations or movements” (Page 10)
2. Impressions are the origin of ideas and thoughts; ideas are the reflection of impressions
3. Impressions are vastly more vivid and therefore more forcefull than ideas. “The most lively thought is still inferior than the dullest sensation” (Page 10)

1. The origin of all our ideas come from the senses.
   - Every idea is copied from a similar impression
   - When people are deprived of a sense since birth, they are unable to convice of the corresponding ideas (Blind people know no color, Deaf people know no sound)
2. Thoughts are a faithful mirror of impressions. They are only copies.
3. All of our “creative” thoughts are merely the following operations involving basic ideas derived from the senses

1. Compounding (def: To combine so as to form a whole; mix.)
   - Golden Mountain = Gold + Mountain
2. Transposing (def: To put into a different place or order)
   - Rhino’s horn + Horse = Unicorn
3. Augmenting (def. To make (something already developed or well under way) greater, as in size, extent, or quantity)
   - [Ideas of Goodness and Wisdom] X [infinity] = God
4. Diminishing (def. # To make smaller or less or to cause to appear so.)

All ideas are naturally faint and obscure. It is easy to confuse one idea with another, they are not very distint. However, all impressiosn are stong and vivid. They are clear and very will defined. It is not easy to fall into error about them. When it comes to ideas we need to inquire: “From what impression does the idea come from?” (page 13) If we are not able to find a impression, then it is not meaningful

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