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"Psycho-epistemology" and "sense of life"

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Do the concepts "Psycho-epistemology" and "sense of life" hold the same meaning? I checked the Ayn Rand Lexicon and apart from slightly different wording, they seem to be equivilant (although "sense of life" seems to be used more in the context of Esthetics, whereas "psycho-epistemology" is more confined to psychology and epistemology.)

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Do the concepts "Psycho-epistemology" and "sense of life" hold the same meaning?

No, though they are related. A person's psycho-epistemology refers mainly to his psychology of thinking, his overall method of cognition -- a highly-conscious conceptual term -- whereas sense of life is more emotional -- the emotional form in which your subconscious integrates all of the thinking that you have done, or failed to do -- an emotional sum total on the grand level of who and what you are and how you view life and existence.

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It is interesting that in her discussion on Aesthetics, Ayn Rand uses the concept "psycho-epistemological sense of life". This is what is revealed about an artist in the style of his work. It is his fundamental view on how reason should function. It seems obvious in a writer. The more grammatical, precise, and concise and writer's style, the better his view on his reader. He has a respect and expects and intelligent reader. He wants a focused reader.

A writer whose use of language serves the plot, is a writer who feels that ideas serve human action and life.

But even in painting a painter reveals his psycho-epistemology. Look at Vermeer. Or even look at Dali, whose style is magnificent as opposed to his delirious themes. Contrast it with the Impressionists, who paint as humans do not perceive reality, as if they had a permanent blur before their vision.

Americo.

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No, though they are related. A person's psycho-epistemology refers mainly to his psychology of thinking, his overall method of cognition -- a highly-conscious conceptual term -- whereas sense of life is more emotional -- the emotional form in which your subconscious integrates all of the thinking that you have done, or failed to do -- an emotional sum total on the grand level of who and what you are and how you view life and existence.

Thank you for your response. I already suspected that those might be the differing abstract concepts involved. However, they aren't very descriptive in telling me what the meaning of those differentia are. Could you go into detail as to what you mean by "a highly-conscious conceptual term", and "more emotional" or otherwise point me to a source which goes into more detail to marking the differences between the two concepts (I own all of Rand's literature and OPAR)?

From what I've understood, the "emotional form" that your subconscious takes is the same thing (or bound to the same causes) as a person's overall method of congnition (which could be called a "habit" of cognition, the performance and functioning of which is determined by the individuals' subconscious). This is why I reasoned that they are refering to the same thing, and simply explained using different terms and/or approached the defining process from a different angle.

Or is the difference being, that psycho-epistemology refers to the actuality of the frame of your sub-conscious, whereas "sense-of-life" is the product of a certain psycho-epistemology (your emotional responses, or "automated value-judgements".) Or to put it another way, one is the cause, the other is the effect? And if that is accurate, what is a psycho-epistemology when seperated from the sum of your emotional responses (up to now, that's all I've considered it to be)?

Thanks for your time

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Thank you for your response. I already suspected that those might be the differing abstract concepts involved. However, they aren't very descriptive in telling me what the meaning of those differentia are. Could you go into detail as to what you mean by "a highly-conscious conceptual term", and "more emotional"

These were very poorly worded on my part. I only meant to underscore how psycho-epistemology is primarily concerned with cognition, whereas sense of life is primarily an emotional response.

or otherwise point me to a source which goes into more detail to marking the differences between the two concepts (I own all of Rand's literature and OPAR)?

I am not aware of any writings that have as its purpose distinguishing the two. However, for sense of life I have laways liked how Miss Rand characterized it in this one sentence (The Ayn Rand Letter, "Don't Let It Go," Vol. 1, No. 4, November 22, 1971):

"A sense of life is a pre-conceptual equivalent of metaphysics, an emotional, subconsciously integrated appraisal of man and of existence."

And, of course, see Miss Rand's "Philosophy and Sense of Life," reprinted in The Romantic Manifesto, for the best detailed discussion of the meaning and significance of "sense of life."

For psycho-epistemology, a lovely one-sentence description of it as a field of study is "Psycho-epistemology is the study of the mental operations that are possible to and and that characterize man's cognitive behavior." This is from Part I of a two-part article in The Objectivist Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 10, October 1964, and Vol. 3, No. 11, November 1964, titled, aptly enough, "Psycho-Epistemology." This two-part article not only describes what psycho-epistemology is, but it illustrates how a poor psycho-epistemology can lead to mental problems, as contrasted with the mental success of a healthy psycho-epistemology.

Rather than respond to your other formulations, I would suggest reading these first, and then afterwards you can ask for clarification if needed.

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