Principle 2: The imagination is free to transpose and change its ideas
Table of Contents
Idea in Memory is Stronger than Idea in Imagination
When any impression enters the mind, it takes the form of an idea in 2 ways:
- as memory
This happens when the impression retains its original vivacity.
- This is somewhat between an impression and an idea.
- as imagination
This happens when the impression loses its original vivacity and becomes a perfect idea.
Initially:
- the memory’s ideas are much livelier and stronger than the ideas of the imagination
- the memory paints its objects in more distinct colours, than any colours used by the imagination.
When we remember any past event, its idea flows into the mind forcibly.
Whereas in the imagination, the perception:
- is faint and languid, and
- cannot be preserved by the mind steadily and uniformly without difficulty.
This difference is fully explained in Part 2, Section 5.
Ideas can only enter the mind after their correspondent impressions have prepared the way for them.
But the imagination is not restrained in the same sequence by the original impressions.
On the contrary, the memory is restrained.
- The memory preserves the original form how it got its objects.
- A defect in memory will cause the memory to not preserve the original form when remembering anything.
A historian might narrate Event B happening before Event A, which actually occurred after Event A.
The same thing happens when we remember places and persons.
The chief exercise of the memory is not to preserve the simple ideas, but their order and position.
Principle 2: The imagination is free to transpose and change its ideas
The fables are proof of this.
- Nature in fables is totally confounded.
- It mentions winged horses, fiery dragons, and monstrous giants.
This liberty of the fancy is because:
- all our ideas are copied from our impressions, and
- no 2 impressions are perfectly inseparable.
This is a consequence of the division of ideas into simple and complex.
Whenever the imagination perceives a difference among ideas, it can easily produce a separation.