simple ideas
Uncomplicated mental building-blocks
Simple ideas, in philosophy, are the basic building blocks of thought—mental impressions that cannot be broken down further.
John Locke distinguished simple ideas (redness, sweetness, coldness) from complex ideas, which combine simples into larger concepts.
The term remains useful for discussing elemental perceptions and the foundations of knowledge: All our complex thoughts ultimately reduce to simple ideas.
- basicFundamental in nature
- back to basicsRefocusing on core principles
- first principlesBasic truths underlying reasoning
- conceptsAbstract mental constructs
- thoughtsMental reflections
elementary · fundamental · clear · straightforward · uncomplicated · notions · quick fix · plain · easy · no frills · beginner · intuitive · core · bare bones · essence · building blocks · starting point · seed
- empiricismempiricism, positivism, empirical research, inductive reasoning, Vienna Circle
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