How mental systems believe.

@article{Gilbert1991HowMS,
  title={How mental systems believe.},
  author={Daniel T. Gilbert},
  journal={American Psychologist},
  year={1991},
  volume={46},
  pages={107-119}
}
  • D. Gilbert
  • Published 1 February 1991
  • Psychology
  • American Psychologist
Is there a difference between believing and merely understanding an idea?Descartes thought so. He considered the acceptance and rejection of an idea to be alternative outcomes of an effortful assessment process that occurs subsequent to the automatic comprehension of that idea. This article examined Spinoza's alternative suggestion that (a) the acceptance of an idea is part of the automatic comprehension of that idea and (b) the rejection of an idea occurs subsequent to, and more effortfully… 
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