Hume vs. Locke

David Hume and John Locke are two prominent names in the realm of philosophy

These philosophers belong to the tradition of empiricism , where both of them have contributed immensely . Though they are similar , Hume and Locke are also remarkably different . Their ideas and concepts of empiricism are alike in certain respects but are generally distinct from one another

Empiricism is one of the philosophical traditions of epistemology Empiricists upheld the belief that knowledge can only be derived from sense experience (Markie , 2008 . Two of the most well-known empiricists are David

Hume and John Locke . Both of them have established their philosophies on the fact that the ideas of the mind come from experiences . Locke (1975 ) summarized empiricism in this passage Whence has it all the materials of Reason and Knowledge ? To this I answer , in one word , From Experience : In that , all our Knowledge is founded (p . 104

One of the most distinct features of Hume 's empiricist philosophy is his differentiation between impressions and ideas . For Hume , those concepts which allow men to think are called perceptions (Morris , 2007 . He also observed that there was significant difference between situations wherein an individual experiences a sensation and when the person in question merely recalls the said sensation (Hume , 1955

Based on this observation , Hume divided the perceptions of the mind into two categories (Hume , 1955 . These categories differed from each other in terms of force and vivacity (Hume , 1955 ,

. 27 . Those perceptions which are more forceful or lively fall...