http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/1593102

The psychology of belief

"The present work deals comprehensively with the psychology of belief in all its aspects. Accordingly it discusses (1) the problem of belief engenderment, (2) the problem of belief as enduring mental disposition guiding our conduct, and (3) the problem of belief as a mode of experiencing. All features of the psychology of belief are illustrated by a wealth of quotations from poetry, drama and fiction. As the psychological problem of belief has not hitherto been accessible to experiment, the theories propounded, are founded upon reflection on general human experience in the broadest sense. The work, in other words, represents the type of so-called 'analytic psychology' which has become prominent by the writings of G.F. Stout and others. It deals with a topic of psychology which has not been earlier treated in a comprehensive fashion, and, thus, it ought to be of interest to any student of general psychology. Although it does not deal specifically with religious faith it ought also to be of interest to any student of the psychology of religion, as the psychological principles underlying religious faith can be easily extracted from the general theory of belief engenderment. The author's viewpoint is definitely the one of 'conational psychology' i.e., the general psychological approach of the present dissertation is based upon the assumption of inborn purposive dispositions determining the behavior and adjustment of human beings"--Jacket. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).

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