"Recept" (pronounced/ˈriːˌsɛpt/) is a term used in the work of 19th-centurypsychologistGeorge Romanes to refer to an idea that is formed by the repetition ofpercepts (i.e., successive percepts of the same object).[1] The idea is similar to that of concatenated impressions, as seen in the work ofDavid Hume. It is also associated with the concepts of "construct" and "influent".[2]
In the bookMental Evolution of Man, Romanes introduced recept to support his argument that Charles Darwin's theory of the origin of language is valid by presenting more evidence from philology.[3] In his conceptualization, recept denotes the process, which involves memory, that transpires when a human child as a "higher animal" is faced with a sensory situation it perceives as familiar.[3] This familiarity elicits a response based on its meaning and significance.[3] Romanes also stated that, recept or a receptual thought is a compound idea - one the differs from a general or abstract idea - of past similar perceptions.[4] It has been interpreted as an idea that one is not aware he has.[4] It is noted that recept is not widely embraced because Romanes book is so little read.[3] The term is used inRichard Maurice Bucke's book,Cosmic Consciousness: A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind. Bucke was a 19th-centuryCanadianpsychiatrist.
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