Feeling

Abstract

This article attempts to establish on a psychological basis some foundational principles of a philosophy of mind grounded in process (microgenetic) and evolutionary theory, with a focus on the microoral or diachronic aspects of mental contents and the derivation and intra-psychic structure of the mind/brain states in which they are ingredients. The subjectivity of the approach is in contrast to the externalist stance of cognitivist theory, a distinction with a venerable history. For example, Bosanquet asked, "is mental growth a process of compounding units . . . or a process of discrimination?" and cited James as preferring to begin with "the more concrete mental aspects . . . (and go) to elements we come to know by way of abstraction." James went on to write that the "process of building-up the mind out of its units of composition has the merit of expository elegance, and gives a neatly subdivided table of contents; but it often purchases these advantages at the cost of reality and truth." James insisted on a focus on entire conscious states rather than "the postmortem study of their comminuted elements (which is) the study of artificial abstractions, not of natural things.".