David Hume’s Philosophy on Human Cognition

David Hume: A Philosopher and his Contributions

David Hume is a well-known philosopher who lived in the eighteenth century and made substantial contributions to various areas of philosophy. Hume, who was born in Scotland, made contributions to philosophy, economics, and history. Hume made significant contributions to cognitive psychology. Hume established mental objects he dubbed “perceptions” in his arguments regarding human cognition. Hume went on to categorize the various entities/mental objects as “impressions” and “ideas.” As a result, it is critical to examine the distinctions between the two mental objects associated with human cognition.

Distinguishing Impressions and Ideas

Hume distinguished between impressions and ideas by focusing on how they originate in the mind. According to Hume, those perceptions that enter the mind and impact on people’s thoughts and consciousness through violence and force are impressions. To elaborate his argument, Hume classified all sensations, emotions, and passions as impressions. Hume classified the mentioned perceptions as impressions because their first occurrence is direct to the soul. On the other hand, David Hume established ideas as those perceptions that initially form a faint image in the mind as they gradually grow in clarity over time. Hume established the mental functions of thinking, reasoning, and logic as prime examples of the ideas. Essentially, Hume argues that impressions are connected to the processes of feeling while ideas are centered around the process of thinking. Ideas are centered around the workings of the mind, and as a result, most impressions define ideas such as what to think and believe from different sensations. Evidently, impressions are stronger than ideas, and David Hume argued that impressions result in ideas through various ways such as for cause and effect, resemblance, and contiguity.

Illustrating the Differences Between Impressions and Ideas

To elaborate on the differences between impressions and ideas, it is paramount to provide an example. In summers, most people look forward to the sun and the heat that comes with it. However, sometimes the heat is in excess resulting in heatwaves. The first time that people register the excess heat forms the impression part of their cognition. On the other hand, all the following reasoning and memories that result from the experiences of the heat wave make up the idea. The thinking and devising of means and cooler areas form up the idea part of human cognition among the affected parties. In fall and autumn when there is cold, the memories of the experiences during the heat wave can only be defined as ideas derived from the impressions of excess heat during the heat wave.

Further Distinctions Between Impressions and Ideas

From the example, it is clear that impressions are paired with corresponding ideas. Ideas form the aftermath of impressions in the human mind. However, Hume presented other distinctions relating impressions and ideas. In his discussions, Hume established that impressions could either be simple or complex. Additionally, Hume introduced the concept that impressions are divided into two types, impressions of sensations and impressions of reflexion. On the other hand, Hume presented distinctions in ideas depending on the forming faculties. According to Hume, the idea-forming faculties are memory and imagination.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, it is apparent that David Hume is an icon in philosophical studies. Hume’s arguments about human cognition make sense even in the modern perspectives. The differentiation between the different mental objects into impressions and ideas is essential. The distinction helps people to understand the difference between feelings and sensations and the resulting reactions and thinking from the sensations and emotions.