Veritas Posted June 24, 2019 Report Share Posted June 24, 2019 Ayn Rand said in ITOR in regards to concepts “The ability to regard entities as units is mans distinctive method of cognition” Isn’t this what a gazelle is doing when it only gets afraid of the Lion that is nearby and not the elephant or the ground hog? Isn’t it separating in its mind somehow the difference between the group lions? Isn’t it distinguishing particulars amongst the animal existents? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterSwig Posted June 24, 2019 Report Share Posted June 24, 2019 (edited) I think the gazelle is associating its present perceptual awareness with a stored memory of a past lion encounter. This association then triggers learned behaviors, namely focused attention and possibly flight, if the lion gets too close. Edited June 24, 2019 by MisterSwig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grames Posted June 24, 2019 Report Share Posted June 24, 2019 7 hours ago, Veritas said: Ayn Rand said in ITOR in regards to concepts “The ability to regard entities as units is mans distinctive method of cognition” Or when a dog returns to its food dish, it does not need to learn all over again that what is in the dish is food. "Distinctive" is the key adjective there. Man's distinctive method of cognition is used and abused on every aspect of his life (not just food and fear) and is also his chief means of survival. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Morris Posted June 25, 2019 Report Share Posted June 25, 2019 From the Ayn Rand Lexicon: A unit is an existent regarded as a separate member of a group of two or more similar members. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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