ABSTRACT
David Hume's general theory of perception is as peculiar as his doctrine of belief. In Dr. Thomas Reid's view, Hume is gravely mistaken to think that the only items of the mind are impressions and ideas, because in seeing an object there is an intentionally towards something which is not anybody's seeing but a real object. Hume actually argues that the observation of the priority of impressions, before their correspondent ideas, is what leads us into assuming that original sensations cause their correspondent ideas. Hume knew that philosophers are not really involved and must not really be involved with the construction of hypotheses, pertaining to the ultimate causes of objects, because they are ill-equipped to wrestle with the causes of things. Philosophers are able mainly to provide a crystal-clear analysis of the nature of issues, in the broadest possible sense.
