Specious present

Specious present

The specious present is the time duration wherein one's perceptions are considered to be in the present.James, W. (1893). [http://books.google.com/books?id=JLcAAAAAMAAJ The principles of psychology] . New York: H. Holt and Company. Page 609.]

Description

The term was coined by amateur philosopher E. Robert Kelly, [Anonymous (E. Robert Kelly), "The Alternative: A Study in Psychology". London: Macmillan and Co.,1882.] better known under the pseudonym "E. R. Clay".cite paper
author = Andersen, Holly
coauthors = Rick Grush
title = A brief history of time-consciousness: historical precursors to James and Husserl
version =
publisher = Journal of the History of Philosophy
date = pending
url = http://mind.ucsd.edu/papers/bhtc/Andersen&Grush.pdf
format = PDF
accessdate = 2008-02-02
] His words deserve to be quoted in full:

The concept was further developed by Harvard professor of philosophy William James. James defined the specious present to be "the prototype of all conceived times... the short duration of which we are immediately and incessantly sensible". C. D. Broad in "Scientific Thought" (1930) further elaborated on the concept of the specious present, and considered that the Specious Present may be considered as the temporal equivalent of a sensory datum.

Notes

References

* Andersen, Holly, and Rick Grush, " [http://mind.ucsd.edu/papers/bhtc/Andersen&Grush.pdf A brief history of time-consciousness: historical precursors to James and Husserl] ", To appear in the "Journal of the History of Philosophy".
* Le Poidevin, Robin, " [http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2004/entries/time-experience/ The Experience and Perception of Time] ", "The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2004 Edition)", Edward N. Zalta (ed.)
* Hodder, A. (1901). The adversaries of the sceptic; or, The specious present, a new inquiry into human knowledge. [http://books.google.com/books?id=uZ5RAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA36&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=0_0 Chapter II, The Specious Present] . London: S. Sonnenschein &. Pages 36 - 56.


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