Hume argues that the opposite passions are usually focused on the same object (277). For instance, Part I examines pride and humility. The first two parts of Book II are devoted to the exploration of different passions. These passions are more powerful than the emotions arising from the ‘calm’ impressions, and, therefore, have a stronger influence on one’s actions (Hume 276). Hume defines most of the passions as the violent type of impressions, such as “love and hatred, grief and joy, pride and humility” (276). The notion of impressions continues in the second section of the work, where Hume attempts to differentiate the forces that drive actions of the people. The author moves to explain that simple ideas are the direct representation of the impressions (Hume 4) complex ideas, on the other hand, may not be a direct product of impressions but rather a result of a chain of processes that followed them (Hume 3). This notion elaborates on the author’s argument about the empirical nature of knowledge: for Hume, impressions are the experiences that form ideas, or knowledge. Hume also divides people’s perception of the world into two categories, ideas and impressions, where one is dependent on the other: “the ideas I form are exact representations of the impressions I felt nor is there any circumstance of the one, which is not to be found in the other” (Hume 3).
The author argues that innate ideas no longer exist: “the principle of innate ideas has been already refuted, and is now almost universally rejected in the learned world” (Hume 158). This sentence summarizes the entire argument of Book I Hume claims that all human knowledge is based on experience or in some way derived from it. He follows the popular notion of empiricism by arguing that experience and observation are essential in most science subjects, as well as in the study of human nature: “as the science of man is the only solid foundation for the other sciences, so the only solid foundation we can give to this science itself must be laid on experience and observation” (Hume xx).
In the introduction to Book I, Hume claims that all sciences are ultimately dependent on human knowledge, yet the subject of knowledge is rarely addressed adequately by the scholars (xix).
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