Remarks

I would like to share some reflections on an interesting book from my library: Mind and Memory Training by Ernest E. Wood (1974 edition). In the second chapter, Wood identifies four principles (or laws, as he calls them) that aid the student in concentration. These are:

L1. The Law of Classes

Example: Mammal → Cow; Plant → Tree; Celestial Object → Planet

L2. The Law of Parts

Example: Cow → Nose, legs, torso; Car → Wheels, windshield, engine

L3. The Law of Quality

Example: Cow → Brown; Statue of Liberty → 93m height

L4. The Law of Proximity

Example: Cow → Smell of manure; Car → Road trip; Office → Work

Wood explains that the first three laws are logically grounded, while the fourth is based on imagination. However, some clarification is necessary. Whether intentionally or not, Wood’s laws align with certain established categories of thought:

• L1. Classes: Genus and species divisions.

• L2. Parts: The logic of parts and wholes.

• L3. Quality: The categorical relationship between substances and their accidents.

• L4. Proximity: The principles of memory and association.

The first and third laws align with traditional logic. When we ask what something is, we inquire about its place in a logical system of classification. For example, we say that a human being is a rational animal, whereas a dog is a barking animal. Both are part of the genus animal but are distinguished by their specific differences: rationality versus barking. Such classifications underpin systems like biological taxonomy (e.g., kingdom → phylum → class), number systems (e.g., complex → real → rational → natural), the periodic table, and other instances.

L3, by contrast, concerns the categorical relationship between a subject and its predicates. In the sentence “Socrates is a man,” the predicate “man” identifies Socrates’ substance. Other predicates, like “Socrates is old” or “Socrates is white-haired,” describe qualities that are either essential or accidental. Aristotle’s ten categories—substance, quantity, quality, relation, etc.—help clarify these relationships.

L2 connects to the study of parts and wholes. Discussions of parts trace back to Plato and Aristotle and have evolved into the modern field of mereology (the study of parts). Aristotle’s Metaphysics and Husserl’s Logical Investigations both delve into this topic, exploring the structure and interrelation of parts in various contexts. Modern theories have also developed in this context, e.g., Peter Simon’s Parts. 

Finally, L4 involves principles of memory and association. Though Wood attributes this to imagination, its foundation in fact lies in psychology. For example, in Memory and Reminiscence, Aristotle identifies similarity, contrast, and contiguity as principles of recollection. These principles were later echoed by David Hume in his discussion of association in A Treatise of Human Nature and An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. There he identifies resemblance, contiguity, and cause and effect. 

My aim is not to undertake an exhaustive analysis of these principles. I will perhaps do that later on down the road. For now, I wish to highlight their connection to knowledge. In Wood’s framework, the laws help the mind organize, focus, and concentrate.

For example, Wood suggests a simple exercise:

1. Sit in a quiet place without distraction.
2. Focus on an object, such as a cow or a car, for a certain amount of time, say 10 minutes.
3. Use the four laws to associate related ideas, keeping your focus alive.

Car → Automobile (L1) → Tire (L2) → Motion (L3) → Road (L4) → Fast (L4) → Lamborghini (L3) → Hood (L2) → Red (L3).

This exercise illustrates a fundamental principle of memory: logical and psychological association. While associations can form unconsciously (e.g., a smell triggering a memory), they can also be consciously constructed using various techniques taught under the discipline of mnemonics (from the goddess of memory, Mnemosyne) or the art of memory. 

Education depends on memory. To learn is to remember, not just isolated facts but systems of knowledge. Without memory, we cannot infer, connect, or synthesize insights to form theories. Hence, a strong memory is essential for education and intellectual growth.

In an age of artificial intelligence, developing human intellectual capabilities is more vital than ever. While AI can serve as a tool to aid our pursuit of knowledge, we must ensure it does not replace the human act of thinking. Memory, as the foundation of knowledge, plays a key role in this effort.

Memory is only a starting point, but without mastering it, we face difficulty in advancing toward deeper forms of knowledge. By practicing the art of memory, we refine our ability to learn, recall, and apply knowledge across disciplines like history, science, mathematics, and philosophy.

As a final point, I add that education is not only about knowing. It also involves action—both in the sense of doing (praxis) and creating (techne). Doing involves acting justly and wisely, while creating relates to method and the craft of producing knowledge. Together, these feed into theoria (theoretical understanding), forming a complete cycle of knowing, doing, and crafting.