Abstract
Because the current resurgence of the mentalistic interpretation of cognitive events runs counter to scientific norms, it prompts a thorough analysis of the source and nature of Cognitivism. As to the source, Cognitive psychology is definitely a continuation of the spiritistic way of thinking developed by the Church Fathers as early as the 2nd century B.C. The evidence of this continuity is well symbolized by the antiscientific writings of St. Augustine.
What Cognitivism basically signifies is that such activities as perceiving, thinking, reasoning, and so on comprise some sort of transcendent internal entity or process not amenable to observation. Clearly events are being verbally transmuted into mystical psychic constructs. How such errors can be accounted for is by (a) the power of traditional beliefs and (b) the misunderstanding of Behavioristic doctrine. In conclusion, the article also raises the question of whether mentalism can ever be extruded from psychology, with suggestions concerning the scientific treatment of cognitive events.
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This article is based on a lecture delivered at Wichita State University on April 13, 1978.
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Kantor, J.R. Cognition as Events and as Psychic Constructions. Psychol Rec 28, 329–342 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394544
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394544