Abstract

The lack of logic and confusion about praxis have long been the basis for criticism of narrative and psychoanalytic theory building. At the same time, logic remains a cognitive ability left largely unexplained and uniquely human. This dissertation presents a working hypothesis about the origins of logical reasoning in human cognition, based on experimental research done by others investigating Joint Attentional Learning (JAL). Imaginal animate form (IAF) is hypothesized as the appropriate praxis for future narrative, psychoanalytic, and mythological theory building. Those able to imagine IAFs in relation to one another are then proven to be capable of deriving symbolic logic's Boolean algebra from form alone. The demonstration proof shows the derivation of logical connectives from animate form, linking the praxis proposed for narrative and psychoanalysis to logic. Logical reasoning is thereby shown to be related to JAL, eliminating the need for a Platonic explanation for logic. The IAF praxis connecting psychoanalysis, narrative, and logic moves theory on the human psyche beyond a nominal definition, proves a first property, and opens the path to a set of absolute definitions.