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Full Idea
The ancient medical Memorists said that ordinary thinking, inferring, reflecting, believing, assuming, examining, generalising and knowing can all be done simply on the basis of memory.
Gist of Idea
The ancient Memorists said virtually all types of thinking could be done simply by memory
Source
Richard Sorabji (Rationality [1996], 'Inference')
Book Ref
'Rationality in Greek Thought', ed/tr. Frede,M /Striker,G [OUP 1999], p.321
A Reaction
The think there is a plausible theory that all neurons do is remember, and are mainly distinguished by the duration of their memories. We might explain these modes of thinking in terms of various combinations of the fast and the slow.
Related Idea
Idea 6668 If the present does not exist, then consciousness must be memory of the immediate past [Marshall]
23304 | The ancient Memorists said virtually all types of thinking could be done simply by memory [Sorabji] |
23303 | Stoics say true memory needs reflection and assent, but animals only have perceptual recognition [Sorabji] |