Painterly assorted antique buttons arranged in a spiral on plum fabric.

Original artwork, not a still

William James

A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The observation challenges the appearance of thought by comparing it with merely rearranging settled prejudices. Moving ideas around can look like reasoning without changing their basis. The distinction questions whether a confident mental exercise has actually examined anything or simply given old assumptions a new order.

Context reviewed

Share this quote