An object of the mind is an object which exists in the imagination, but which, in the real world, can only be represented or modeled. Some such objects are mathematical abstractions, literary concepts, or fictional scenarios.
Closely related are intentional objects, which are what thoughts and feelings are about, even if they are not about anything real (such as thoughts about unicorns, or feeling of apprehension about a dental appointment which is subsequently cancelled). However, intentional objects can coincide with real objects (as in thoughts about horses, or a feeling of regret about a missed appointment).
Read more about Object Of The Mind: Mathematical Objects, Logical Sequences, Philosophy of Mind, Invented Sources, Convenient Fictions, Science, Self-reference, Nonexistent Objects
Famous quotes containing the words object of the, the mind, object of, object and/or mind:
“Man you can define; but the true essence of any man, say, for instance, of Abraham Lincoln, remains the endlessly elusive and mysterious object of the biographer’s interest, of the historian’s comments, of popular legend, and of patriotic devotion.”
—Josiah Royce (1855–1916)
“The event combined with
Beams leading up to it for the look of force adapted to the wiser
Usages of age, but it’s both there
And not there, like washing or sawdust in the sunlight,
At the back of the mind, where we live now.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
“Organize first for knowledge, first with the object of making us know ourselves as a nation, for we have to do that before we can be of value to other nations of the world and then organize to accomplish the things that you decide to want. And ... don’t make decisions with the interest of youth alone before you. Make your decisions because they are good for the nation as a whole.”
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962)
“Talking about dreams is like talking about movies, since the cinema uses the language of dreams; years can pass in a second and you can hop from one place to another. It’s a language made of image. And in the real cinema, every object and every light means something, as in a dream.”
—Frederico Fellini (1920–1993)
“Sense is a line, the mind is a circle. Sense is like a line which is the flux of a point running out from itself, but intellect like a circle that keeps within itself.”
—Ralph J. Cudworth (1617–1688)