Key Arguments

• Complex ideas are combinations of simple ideas put together and united under one general name.
• Because the mind actively chooses which simple ideas to include or exclude, different people can have different complex ideas for the same word, such as 'gold' or 'justice'.

Source Quotes

Complex ideas are voluntary combinations. Though the mind be wholly passive in respect of its simple ideas; yet, I think, we may say it is not so in respect of its complex ideas. For those being combinations of simple ideas put together, and united under one general name, it is plain that the mind of man uses some kind of liberty in forming those complex ideas: how else comes it to pass that one man’s idea of gold, or justice, is different from another’s, but because he has put in, or left out of his, some simple idea which the other has not?

Though the mind be wholly passive in respect of its simple ideas; yet, I think, we may say it is not so in respect of its complex ideas. For those being combinations of simple ideas put together, and united under one general name, it is plain that the mind of man uses some kind of liberty in forming those complex ideas: how else comes it to pass that one man’s idea of gold, or justice, is different from another’s, but because he has put in, or left out of his, some simple idea which the other has not? The question then is, Which of these are real, and which barely imaginary combinations?

Key Concepts

• Though the mind be wholly passive in respect of its simple ideas; yet, I think, we may say it is not so in respect of its complex ideas.
• the mind of man uses some kind of liberty in forming those complex ideas
• he has put in, or left out of his, some simple idea which the other has not

Context

Locke contrasts the passive reception of simple ideas with the active construction of complex ideas to set up the question of which complex ideas are real versus imaginary.