"In the perception of a tree we can distinguish the act of experiencing, or perceiving, from the thing experienced, or perceived."
"Such being the nature of mental life, the business of psychology is primarily to describe in detail the various forms which attention or conation assumes upon the different levels of that life."
3 likes
Source: Opening Statement to Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered 9 January 2006
About the author
Same author
More quotes by Samuel Alexander
"But though cognition is not an element of mental action, nor even in any real sense of the word an aspect of it, the distinction of cognition and conation has if properly defined a definite value."
"Psychology is the science of the act of experiencing, and deals with the whole system of such acts as they make up mental life."
"The interval between a cold expectation and a warm desire may be filled by expectations of varying degrees of warmth or by desires of varying degrees of coldness."
"Hence, in desiring, the more the enjoyment is delayed, the more fancy begins to weave about the object images of future fruition, and to clothe the desired object with properties calculated to inflame the impulse."
"Curiosity begins as an act of tearing to pieces or analysis."