Class Responses and Instructor Comments

 

>From Avner:

Hume sees ideas as the simple ideas and the complex ideas. Simple Ideas are derived directly from Impressions. Complex Ideas are Ideas made up of a combination of simple Ideas. An impression is an occurent mental state, just like the feeling of a needle in ones hand.

>rm says: This is pretty good. Recognize that this allows Hume to account for ideas of fantasy.

>From Maria Tamayo:

According to Hume, "impressions" are received through the senses, whether it be through the eyes, the ears, or by emotions, will or desire. Ideas are just the memory that one associates with the impression. These "impressions" are strong and vivid and clear while the "ideas" are less lively because they only remind us of the actual "impression" of the sensory perception. Hume further divides ideas and impressions stating that they can be simple and complex. An example of a simple impression would be hearing a piano being played while a a complex one would be listening to a symphony ochestra. A simple idea is the memory of being angry while a complex idea would be the memory of two simple impressions together such as a Unicorn which would be our ideas of a horse and a horn together.

 

>rm says: It's nice that you noticed that Hume's empiricism doesn't limit experience to sensory perception of external stimuli, but also adds experiences of reflection, as with emotions. Also, I like the distinction between the piano and the orchestra, though even the experience of hearing the piano might be analyzed into simpler parts.

>From Mildred Ferentino:

By the term impressions, then, I mean all our more lively perceptions when we hear or see or feel or love or hate or desire or will. Impressions are distinguished from ideas, which are the less lively perceptions, of which we are conscious, when we reflect on any of those sensations or movements above mentioned.

 

>rm says: But we want to explain these words, not merely quote them.