Full Idea
The creative power of the mind amounts to no more than the faculty of compounding, transposing, augmenting or diminishing the materials afforded us by the sense or experience. For example, a golden mountain or a virtuous horse come from joining ideas.
Gist of Idea
We can only invent a golden mountain by combining experiences
Source
David Hume (Enquiry Conc Human Understanding [1748], II.13)
Book Reference
Hume,David: 'Enquiries Conc. Human Understanding, Morals', ed/tr. Selby-Bigge/Nidditch [OUP 1975], p.19
A Reaction
The example of the Golden Mountain comes from Aguinas Quodlibeta 8.2.1. The original idea is in Sextus Empiricus.
Related Idea
Idea 22763 We can only dream of a winged man if we have experienced men and some winged thing [Sext.Empiricus]