In book 2, Locke discusses simple and complex ideas. He says that there are 4 types of complex ideas; modes, substances, relations and abstract generals. He says that modes are ideas without the notion of self-subsistence. Substances are self-subsisting things or collections of self-subsisting things. Relations are relational concepts.
He says that there are 3 methods that complex ideas are created by. In the first method, ideas are put together through combination, by taking simple ideas that come to the mind naturally through sensation or ideas from the imagination. In the second method, ideas come from a comparison of simple ideas. In this method, the similarities and differences of 2 or more simple ideas are observed and the complex ideas of relations results from it. The last method, abstraction, is when the ideas that have been joined by the mind are separated by the mind.
1 comment:
I agree with Locke on his idea of how we may take simple ideas such as our senses taste, touch and so on to make up more complex ideas. Like we smell flowers and see flowers so we combine them to understand the smell is coming from the flowers.
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