Condillac, a pszichológia felvilágosodás kori előfutára
Virág Kis
June 1, 2026 DOI: 10.14232/flea.2026.1.16 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Consciousness Perception Cognition Empiricism Modalities Foundation evidence Object grammar Cognitive science Epistemology Phenomenology philosophy |
| Key points | Argues that Condillac's statue thought experiment and his emphasis on sensory experience anticipated later developments in associationism, behaviorism, developmental psychology, and contemporary models of multisensory integration. |
Abstract
This study explores Étienne Bonnot de Condillac’s empiricist philosophy as a proto-psychological foundation for modern theories of perception and consciousness by focusing on his famous “statue” thought experiment. It shows how Condillac’s emphasis on sensory experience as the basis of awareness anticipated later developments in associationism, behaviourism, developmental psychology as well as in cognitive neuroscience. In particular, Condillac’s emphasis on the gradual integration of sensory modalities in the statue experiment anticipates contemporary neuroscientific models of multisensory integration underlying the emergence of bodily self-awareness. By tracing these continuities and tensions, the paper positions Condillac as an early psychological thinker whose legacy still constitutes a relevant part of contemporary debates on human cognition and mind.