Association of Ideas

"Though it be too obvious to escape observation, that different ideas are connected together; I do not find, that any philosopher has attempted to enumerate or class all the principles of association; a subject, however, that seems worthy of curiosity. To me, there appear to be only three principles of connexion among ideas, namely, Resemblance, Contiguity in time or place, and Cause or Effect." Hume p. 14

Hume brings up a good point when he says that philosophers have not touched on the principles of association. The last two philosophers that we have covered, Descartes and Locke, did not discuss that particular subject. I agree with Hume that it is quite strange that out of all the subjects in the world to be discussed and that have been discussed, association has not been one of those subjects. It seems like it should be talked about because it is a basic human function.