Philosophy A-Level
Copy principle
What Copy principle means in Philosophy A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definition of Copy principle
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Copy principle in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: AQA
A claim needing support, that simple concepts copy single impressions and complex concepts combine simples, tested by asking which impression a disputed idea derives from.
Topics that use Copy principle
- Reason as a source of knowledge (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- A priori knowledge of existence
- Certainty and foundationalism
- Empiricism
- Hume's Fork
- Intuition
- Leibniz and necessary truths
- Plato's theory of recollection
- Proof of the external world
Using Copy principle in the exam
Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.
Practise Philosophy questions
Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.
Start free
All Philosophy A-Level termsA week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge