Science and Sanity: An Introduction to Non-Aristotelian Systems and General Semantics (International Non-Aristotelian Library)

Science and Sanity: An Introduction to Non-aristotelian Systems and General Semantics, first published in October, 1933, was intended to be a textbook showing how in modern scientific methods we can find factors of sanity, to be tested empirically. Contents 11 Note on Errata 16 Prefaces 17 Preface to 5th Edition, 1993 17 Preface to 4th Edition 1958 27 Bibliographical Note 1958 33 Preface to 3rd Edition 1948 35 Introduction to 2nd Edition 1941 40 A. Recent developments and the founding of the Institute of General Semantics 40 B. Some difficulties to be surmounted 42 1. The attitudes of 'philosophers', etc. 42 2. Perplexities in theories of 'meaning' 45 3. Inadequacy of forms of representation and their structural revision 48 4. Identifications and mis-evalutations 49 5. Methods of the magician 51 C. Revolutions and evolutions 51 D. A non-aristotelian revision 55 E. New factors: the havoc they play with our generalizations 58 F. Non-aristotelian methods 60 1. Neurological mechanisms of extensionalization 60 2. Neuro-semantic relaxation 62 3. Extensional devices and some applications 63 4. Implications of the structure of language 65 G. Over/Under defined terms 67 H. The passing of the old aristotelian epoch 72 1. 'Maginot like mentalities' 72 2. Wars of and on nerves 74 3. Hitler and psycho-logical factors in his life 76 4. Education for intelligence and democracy 78 Conclusion 83 Acknowledgements 85 Supplementary Bibliography to 2nd Edition 86 Preface to 1st Edition 1933 91 Acknowledgement 103 Untitled 105 Book I - A General Survey of Non-Aristotelian Factors 105 Part I - Preliminaries 109 1. Aims, means and consequences of a non-aristotelian revision 111 2. Terminology and meanings 123 A. On semantic reactions 123 B. On the un-speakable objective level 138 C. On 'copying' in our nervous reactions 140 3. Introduction 142 Part II - General on structure 157 4. On structure 158 5. General linguistic 169 6. On symbolism 179 7. Linguistic revision 188 Part III - Non-elementalistic structures 202 8. General epistemological 203 9. Colloidal behaviour 213 10. The 'organism-as-a-whole' 225 A. Illustrations from biology 225 B. Illustrations from nutrition experiments 228 C. Illustrations from 'mental' and nervous diseases 230 Part IV - Structural factors in non-aristotelian languages 233 11. On function 234 12. On order 252 A. Undefined terms 253 B. Order and the nervous system 258 C. Structure, realtions, and multi-dimensional order 262 D. Order and the problems of extension and intension 272 E. Concluding remarks on order 283 13. On relations 289 14. On the notion of infinity 305 15. The 'infinitesimal' and 'cause and effect' 315 16. On the existence of relations 321 17. On the notions of 'matter', 'space', 'time' 324 A. Structural considerations 325 B. The neurological function of abstracting 336 C. Problems of adjustment 340 D. Semantic considerations 342 Part V - On the non-aristotelian language called mathematics 346 18. Mathematics as a language of a structure simialr to the structure of the world 347 19. Mathematics as a language of a structure similar to the structure of the human nervous system 368 A. Introductory 368 B. General 375 C. The psycho-logical importance of the theory of aggregates and the theory of groups 380 D. Similarity in structure of mathematics and of our nervous system 387 Part VI - On the foundation of psychophysiology 412 20. General considerations 413 21. On conditional reflexes 424 22. On 'inhibition' 439 23. On conditional reactions of higher orders and psychiatry 456 Book II - A General Introduction to Non-Aristotelian Systems And General Semantics 464 Part VII - On the mechanism of time-binding 466 24. On abstracting 467 25. On the structural differential 482 26. On 'consciouness' and consciousness of abstracting 508 27. Higher order abstractions 522 A. General 522 B. Multiordinal terms 529 C. Confusion of higher orders of abstraction 539 28. On the mechanism of identification and visualization 548 29. On non-aristotelian training 565 30. Identification, infantilism, and un-snaity versus sanity 587 A. General 587 B. Consciousness of abstracting 595 C. Infantilism 604 D. Constructive suggestions 622 31. Concluding remarks 633 Book III - Additional Structural Data About Languages And The Empirical World 658 Prefatory Remarks 659 Part VIII - On the structure of mathematics 664 32. On the semantics of the differential calculus 665 A. Introductory 665 B. On the differential calculus 666 1. General considerations 666 2. Maxima and minima 680 3. Curvature 682 4. Velocity 683 C. On the integral calculus 684 D. Further applications 686 1. Partial differentiation 686 2. Differential equations 687 3. Methods of approximation 688 4. Periodic functions and waves 689 33. On linearity 695 34. On geometry 707 A. Introductory 707 B. On the notion of the 'internal theory of surfaces' 713 C. Space-Time 718 D. The application of geometrical notions to cerebral localization 722 Part IX - On the similarity of empirical and verbal structures 726 35. Action by contact 727 36. On the semantics of the Einstein theory 738 37. On the notion of 'simultaneity' 749 38. On the 'world' of Minkowski 755 39. General reflections on the Einstein theory 763 Part X - On the structure of 'matter' 772 40. The older 'matter' 773 41. The newer 'matter' 786 A. Introductory 788 B. The nature of the problem 790 C. Matrices 793 D. The operator calculus 799 E. The new quantum mechanics 802 F. The wave mechanism 808 G. Structural aspects of the new theories 812 Supplement I - The Logic of Relativity 817 Supplement II - The Theory of Types 825 Supplement III - A Non-Aristotelian System And Its Necessity For Rigour In Mathematics And Physics 835 Notes And References 850 Bibliography 853 Catalog 868 Index 876