Locke's Modes

Although Locke did believe that some simple ideas occur together naturally in our experiences, he also believed that most of the complex ideas that we possess are the result of the application of the higher powers of the brain. Complex ideas are just a combination of numerous simple ideas that result in the creation of a new whole. Repeated using of these powers creates the whole variety of ideas that humans beings can have.

Locke believes that complex ideas can be categorized into three:
1. Modes
2. Substances
3. Relations
Of the three different types of ideas just mentioned, I will now just only talk about the first.

Modes

One simple mode is a complex idea whose components are parts, variations, and or combinations of one simple idea.
Mixed modes are complex ideas that are composed of members that incorporate numerous simple ideas. These are much more commonly manufactured by the mind as complex ideas before we first apply them to our world. There is only one thing that one needs to know for the formation of a mixed mode, and that is its convenience of its use for us. An example of mixed modes would be human activities that not only include sensation but the ideas of reflection. The example of stabbing a person will suffice to show what a mixed mode is. Lets say that for any two persons X and Y, X kills Y. The idea of killingsomeone might be such that a legislative body who is there to decide that this action is condemnable does not need to know when this first occurred in the annals of history. Lets suppose that the idea of stabbing someone is a mixed mode. In this case the only thing the legislative body needs to know is whether or not the stabbing was convenient. Although this seems gory and hard to believe, this would apply to the example mentioned. If the killing was not convenient for us, then the legislative body might decide that it is punishable, but if it is convenient, as in the example of an executioner killing a criminal, then the legislative body might decide that it is convenient for us to do so.
It should also be noted that the idea of what is a mixed mode will vary according to different cultures.