Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature, Book 1, Part 1, Sect 2, "Division of the Subject"

by Corry Shores
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[The following is summary, up to the end where I reproduce this section in full. My commentary is in brackets. Paragraph headings are my own.]

David Hume

A Treatise of Human Nature

Book I: Of the Understanding

Part I: Of Ideas, their Origin, Composition, Connexion, Abstraction, etc.

Section II: Division of the Subject:

§24

Because our impressions precede our ideas [§17], we begin first by distinguishing two types of impressions, sensation and reflexion.

Sensation arises originally from within us from unknown causes.

Reflexion derives from our ideas, taking place in this order:

1) First an impression strikes upon our senses, and makes us sensuously perceive something. For example, the impression might cause us to perceive heat or cold, thirst or hunger, pleasure or pain, and so on.

2) Then the mind copies this impression. The impression's mental double remains after the impression ceases. We call it an idea.

3) The ideas of pleasure and pain may return [when called back], which produces new impressions of desire and aversion, or hope and fear. These are impressions of reflexion, because they derive from the reflexions or returns of the previous idea.

4) These impressions of reflexions may again be copied by the memory and imagination, and become ideas. Likewise, these ideas give rise to other impressions and ideas.

So that the impressions of reflexion are only antecedent to their correspondent ideas; but posterior to those of sensation, and derived from them.

Passions, desires, and emotions are examples of impressions of reflexions.

We leave the analysis of sensations to the natural philosophers and anatomists. We are concerned more with the impressions of reflexions. But because they arise from ideas, we turn now to the topic of ideas.

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[The following is a reproduction of the summarized text.]

SECT. II. DIVISION OF THE SUBJECT.

Since it appears, that our simple impressions are prior to their correspondent ideas, and that the exceptions are very rare, method seems to require we should examine our impressions, before we consider our ideas. Impressions way be divided into two kinds, those Of SENSATION and those of REFLEXION. The first kind arises in the soul originally, from unknown causes. The second is derived in a great measure from our ideas, and that in the following order. An impression first strikes upon the senses, and makes us perceive heat or cold, thirst or hunger, pleasure or pain of some kind or other. Of this impression there is a copy taken by the mind, which remains after the impression ceases; and this we call an idea. This idea of pleasure or pain, when it returns upon the soul, produces the new impressions of desire and aversion, hope and fear, which may properly be called impressions of reflexion, because derived from it. These again are copied by the memory and imagination, and become ideas; which perhaps in their turn give rise to other impressions and ideas. So that the impressions of reflexion are only antecedent to their correspondent ideas; but posterior to those of sensation, and derived from them. The examination of our sensations belongs more to anatomists and natural philosophers than to moral; and therefore shall not at present be entered upon. And as the impressions of reflexion, viz. passions, desires, and emotions, which principally deserve our attention, arise mostly from ideas, it will be necessary to reverse that method, which at first sight seems most natural; and in order to explain the nature and principles of the human mind, give a particular account of ideas, before we proceed to impressions. For this reason I have here chosen to begin with ideas.

From:

Hume, David. A Treatise of Human Nature. Ed. L.A Selby-Bigge. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1979.

Text available online at:

http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/h/hume/david/h92t/

PDF available at:

http://ia341013.us.archive.org/3/items/treatiseofhumann01humeuoft/treatiseofhumann01humeuoft.pdf

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