Principles of Mental Association: How Our Minds Connect Ideas

The Law of Cause and Effect

This fundamental law of association states that through repeated observation of two events or objects occurring together (spatial contiguity) and in sequence over time, our minds develop a disposition. This disposition leads us to evoke the idea of the second event (which we consider the effect) whenever the idea of the first event (which we consider the cause) is present.

The Law of Contiguity

According to this law of association, ideas that have been experienced together tend to occur together. A classic example is a song that reminds us of a particular person or event.

This law is profoundly important because it forms the basis for the formation of complex ideas, especially those concerning substances. Consider observing a car on the street:

• We perceive the wheels, steering wheel, seats, doors, windows, lights, and trunk.
• Upon opening the hood, we perceive the engine.

All these perceptions are experienced next to each other, both temporally (as we can observe them sequentially without interruption) and spatially (as the visual sensations of the wheels form a continuum with those of the door or frame).

Through repeated experiences, a disposition is created within us to recall one idea associated with that object when another is present. This process allows us to form the complex idea of a "car."

Furthermore, our expectations regarding the aspects or features that things offer us are largely based on this law. For instance, it would cause great surprise to look inside a car on the street and not find a wheel. This is because our repeated experiences have always shown that cars possess wheels, instilling in our minds the habit or disposition to believe this will hold true in future cases.

The Law of Similarity

This law of association states that our mind tends to recall or associate similar ideas. For example, when we see a portrait, our mind naturally and spontaneously thinks of the original person.

The Law of Similarity is crucial in how we interact with the world, as it leads us to believe that similar objects must possess similar properties and the same causal powers.