Introduction: A Treatise of Human Nature explained

The following are quotations from the Introduction of A Treatise of Human Nature explained:

“And 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.” Pg. 6

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         The philosophical importance of understanding the basis of human experience and observation must be carefully considered, always, being that it is quite likely and possible for humans to fall under the illusions of their own sophistry.

“For to me it seems evident, that the essence of the mind being equally unknown to us with that of external bodies, it must be equally impossible to form any notion of its powers and qualities otherwise than from careful and exact experiments, and the observation of those particular effects, which result from its different circumstances and situations.”

-          Habit and consistency of experimentation is the best description we have of any kind of cause and effect relation of analysis or hypothesis, because this is nature of the (known) mind.

“…tracing up our experiments to the utmost, and explaining all effects from the simplest and fewest causes, tis still certain we cannot go beyond experience; and any hypothesis, that pretends to discover the ultimate original qualities of human nature, ought at first to be rejected as presumptuous and chimerical …impossibility of explaining ultimate principles should be esteemed a defect in the science of man, I will venture to affirm, that tis a common defect to it with all the sciences, and all the arts, in which we can employ ourselves, whether they be such as are cultivated in the schools of philosophers, or practiced in the shops of the meanest artizans.” Pg. 7

-          Inability to identify the ultimate causes is not just a problem for philosophers, it reaches as far into science and art and even the workplaces.  

Modern applicability of 18th century philosophy

"Be a philosopher, but, amidst all your philosophy, be still a man." - An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

After initially delving into the philosophy of  David Hume, one thing seems very clear. He ends most of his paragraphs boldly, such as the quotation above, leaving the reader with some sort of cliff hanger to stay along. But he still writes with the intentions for people to understand, a very important idea, considering he is explaining how we understand anything at all. Yet without the philosophical tools to unwrap all of his ideas much of his bigger points become lost.

While his writing style is explicate and clear for his day and age, one question still remains, is his philosophy too antiquated, misconstrued by the 18th century to still be considered useful in today age for the general public, not just technical philosophers?
Can the complexities of his philosophy can be translated into easy language, without the loss of any meaning?
First things first I will break down his opening ideas into categories that are the building blocks to his philosophy.

What he calls Impressions are more likely today just called feelings. This includes any sensations, passions, or emotions. { to hear,see,feel,love,hate,desire,will..etc}

Ideas, are images of impressions, which the mind uses in thinking and reasoning. He describes them as fainter than impressions. 

*He acknowledges that ideas in some rare cases may become so vivid and intense that they approach impressions. Likewise impressions may grow so faint and diminished that they resemble thoughts. But for the most part, he concludes, that the two are often distinct enough to be considered the two main expected actions of the mind. Thinking and feeling... 

 THEN, he separates these further into the categories: SIMPLE and COMPLEX. 

Simple impressions and simple ideas are so similar that they are essentially indistinguishable. Example. When you see the color red you think of the color red as well.

Whereas complex impressions have parts, such as an apple, which may be broken down into several different parts, the leaf, stem, seeds, core, etc.