The nature of "intelligence" and the principles of cognition / by C. Spearman.

  • Spearman, C. (Charles), 1863-1945.
Date:
1922
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The nature of "intelligence" and the principles of cognition / by C. Spearman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    estimate of cognitive creativeness, what shall we say of the rival theory of imagination which has been put forward by the majority of professed psychologists and which claims to have explained the creativeness away, resolving it into mere combined reproduction ? It would, from the pre- ceding analysis, appear to be the very antipodes to the truth. The wonder is that its extreme improbability was not already obvious a priori. Take all the items, cognitive and affective, present at any moment, either in consciousness or in subconsciousness. Add, if you will, such items as can possibly be supposed to be somehow effective in absolute unconsciousness. Take into account the entire scope of possible reproductions that all these items can respectively cause, whether by contiguity or by similarity. And let each of these reproductive tendencies be effective in the precise strength prescribed by the laws of retentivity, mental energy, fatigue, and conative reinforcement. Can we reasonably suppose that all this utterly heterogeneous multitude of tendencies will by the most extraordinary of chances sum up into anything that is in the slightest degree orderly ? Can it be expected to march together forward in the grand unity of a drama by Aeschylus or of a symphony by Beethoven ? As well might one believe that all the gusts and eddies and back-currents of the changing winds will jointly build up random assortments of loose leaves and twigs into dainty bird-nests !