ABSTRACT
We must turn to the new-born child in order to find out something about the development of the apprehension of objects. To adults the apprehension of external objects appears to be an immediate underivable experience not of impressions, but of things. Many philosophers maintain that the idea of substance is the first direct entity that we have. But if we could succeed in making the apprehension of objects intelligible on the basis of elementary functions, our theory that all concepts are derived from sense impressions, reproductive and elementary cognitive acts, would be established for some time to come.
