HUME Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HUME - Essay Example According to Hume in the article, â€Å"we may divide all the perceptions of the mind into two classes or species †¦ The less forcible and lively are commonly denominated THOUGHTS or IDEAS †¦ The other species †¦ impression, then, I mean all our more lively perceptions, when we hear, or see, or feel, or love, or hate, or desire, or will.† On the basis of this statement, the ideas and impressions comprising the mental faculty of a man, though possessing significant relation to each other, are distinct among themselves and this working difference is where human belief is conceived. Impressions pertain to sense-perceptions that enable disposition of an individual with emotions or immediate passion whereas ideas constitute ‘faint copies or images’ of impressions within thoughts. Characterized by vividness, impressions are claimed to be more active in the living consciousness compared to ideas. While impressions logically precede ideas, the latter being derived from the former, Hume considers the probability that certain ideas may generate impressions either as reflections or sensations which themselves develop the capacity of formulating ideas in return. Since these constituents of the mind may be held in flexible connections as in random order with or separate from each other, such associations vary with respect to mental operations involved. By cause and effect relation, contiguity, or resemblance, a mental behavior manages to create joints between ideas out of which spring human beliefs which serve as a consequence once the manner of associating impressions and ideas is employed with repetition. Beliefs are further classified into two of which one refers to ‘relations of ideas’ and the other, ‘matters of fact.’ Through the section â€Å"Of the Origin of Ideas†, Hume illustrates stating â€Å"Every one will readily allow, that there is a considerable difference