The psychology of reasoning / by W.B. Pillsbury.

  • Pillsbury, W. B. (Walter Bowers), 1872-1960.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The psychology of reasoning / by W.B. Pillsbury. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the modern writers to recognize the problem was Hume, who made belief depend upon the clearness or distinctness of ideas. The famous classification of mental states into impressions and ideas gives one answer to the question. Impressions must be accepted because they are intense, ideas may be denied if indistinct. Be- lief in ideas is also made to depend upon the strength of the associations that bring them into consciousness. For us the essential aspect of the theory is that it is the first to give an em- pirical basis for belief, to discover a criterion that lies in consciousness itself and is imme- diately open to investigation. Whatever credit may be due to Hume as the pioneer in the prob- lem, as the first who recognized the possibility of answering the question in a scientific way, we must reject his explanation as at best but partial and incomplete. While in general vivid experiences are accepted and the faint and in- definite are doubted or rejected, there are not- able exceptions. Many intense experiences are not believed to be real and a still larger number of faint impressions are at once given credence. Many detected hallucinations and illusions are of considerable intensity, while very many faint impressions are accepted at their first appear- U