Hume's General Theory of Perception

Hume's general theory of perception is as peculiar as his doctrine of belief (Hume: 1739, I,I,I, 2). ¹ Hume thinks that our entire consciousness, or our entire awareness of things, as well as our feelings, are nothing but perceptions. With this in mind, he then divides the perceptions of the mind into two major classes, namely: impressions and ideas (Hume: 1739, I,I,I, I also 33, 67, 96). This means that impressions and ideas are the sole items of our entire conscious life. Furthermore, Hume also claims that these sense perceptions are exactly the same in their character, except in their degree of force and vividness, or in their degree of firmness or steadiness (Hume: 1739, I,I,I, 3). Sense impressions are more violent, more fiery and more energetic when they make their first appearance in the mind than their correspondent ideas, which are thought to be generally faint, languid, gentle or calm.