Critiscisms of the Copy Principle

• 3 criticisms of the Copy Principle

  1. Do all simple ideas come from impressions?
  2. Do all complex ideas relate to impressions?
  3. Do some concepts have to exist in the mid before sense impressions can be properly experienced?
• Critiscism 1: Simple ideas do not come from sense impressions


  Simple ideas are not from corresponding sense impressions - A specific shade of blue can be infered from what is around it
• Critiscism 2: All complex ideas are not related to impressions


  Abstract concepts such as justice or kindness are not related to experience
• Criticism 3: Some concepts exist in the mind before experience

  Our brains must have innate structures to interpret impressions - if one were to give a statue a brain it would not be able to function as we do as it doesn't have the capacity for knowledge
• How does Hume respond to the criticism that simple ideas do not come from impressions?

  The shades of blue are related to each other - it is a complex concept formed from experience

  If one were blind they would not be able to infer the shade as they have never experienced it before.
• The fact that one never sees a general blue implies innate concepts or structure
• Hume responds to the second criticism by saying that abstract concepts are still based on experiences, but they are more difficult to understand than concrete ones
• How does Hume respond to the criticism that complex ideas do not relate to impressions?

  Abstract concepts are not real concepts but concepts created to categorise a collection of experiences. Justice, for example, can be derived from a reflection impression.
• If moral concepts were innate, there would be no such thing as ethics as it would be universal.
• nativism - babies are born with precoded evolutionary knowledge - implies innate structure
• How does Hume respond to the criticism that humans possess innate structures?

  Humans possess ability knowledge - the innate capacity to acquire knowledge - not innate
• William James - "if we did not have innate structures the world would be a blooming buzzing sensation"
• Carruthers - language reorders the word. Allows one to categorise and associate
• The difference between innate ability and understanding is cognitive contact