Hume And Descartes On The Theory Of Ideas

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not in me…therefore I myself cannot be the cause of the idea, then
it necessarily follows that I am not alone in the world, but that something
else, which is the cause of this idea, also exists" (75). Descartes weakness is
his idea of innate ideas. It is not necessarily correct to say people have a
mind the minute they are born, instead they have gained it after being living
for some time. Descartes position on innate ideas is open to criticism; innate
ideas should be predicted not thought of. There is no certainty that the nature
in which the idea is explained should be innate. If Descartes theory of
innateness has no temporary connections between the ideas, then there is nothing
innate about his innate ideas.
Hume believed that ideas came from impressions. He stated that every
simple idea has a simple impression and vice versa. He divided impressions into
two groups, sensation, which comes about from causes unknown to us and
reflection which comes about from our ideas. ...

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