Lines of Thought

Lance Rips has taught at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University, where he is currently professor of psychology. His research focuses on cognitive issues, including people's knowledge of number, causality, categories, and identity over time. His previous books take up the topics of reasoning, similarity and symbols, and the psychology of survey responding.

Preface

Introduction
0.1 Modalities and Commonalities
0.2 Modal Thinking in Cognitive Domains
0.3 Psychological Approaches to Modal Thinking

1. Individuals
1.1 Object Concepts and Object Identity
1.2 Theories of Object Concepts
1.3 A Causal Continuer Theory of Object Identity
1.4 Fission and Fusion
1.5 Extensions and Limitations
Appendix: A Mathematical Version of the Causal Continuer Theory

2. Numbers
2.1 Words and Numbers
2.2 Possible Precursors of Natural Numbers
2.3 The Route to Concepts of Number
2.4 Knowledge of Mathematical Principles
2.5 Math Schemas
2.6 Concluding Comments



3. Causes
3.1 How are Causal Relations Given to Us?
3.2 Reasoning from Causal Theories
` 3.3 Concluding Comments
Appendix: Reasoning with Conditional and Causal Sentences

4. Kinds
4.1 Modal Characteristics of Natural Categories: Psychological Evidence
4.2 What Explains Natural Categories' Modal Status?
4.3 Summary and Concluding Comments
Appendix: The Gap Model

5. Thoughts
5.1 Psychological Theories of Concepts and Concept Combination
5.2 Dual versus Unitary Models of Concept Combination
5.3 Concept Combination and Mental Theories
5.4 Is Concept Combination Possible?

6. Reasons
6.1 Reasoning's Natural Kinds
6.2 The Reasoner's Toolkit
6.3 Unitary Theories
6.4 Partitioning Theories
6.5 Concluding Comments

Conclusions: Cognitive Structure
7.1 Origins of Deduction and Mathematics
7.2 Origins of Causal Knowledge
7.3 A Role for Non-perceptual Structure in Cognition

References
Subject Index
Author Index