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Medieval theories of mental representation
1Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
History of Psychology
|October 20, 2001
Summary
Medieval scholars believed mental representations were stored forms. William of Ockham challenged this in the 14th century, proposing mental representations are constructed from learned experiences.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- History of Philosophy
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Medieval philosophy generally accepted that mental representations were stored "species" of perceived objects.
- This view aligned with Platonic metaphors and medieval brain theories locating cognition in ventricles.
- Phenomenological experiences like afterimages and imagination supported the idea of preserved mental forms.