Premium
Crazy Children, Fantastical Theories, and the Many Uses of Metaphysics
Author(s) -
Johnson Carl N.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1997.tb01980.x
Subject(s) - constructive , metaphysics , psychology , epistemology , aesthetics , philosophy , process (computing) , computer science , operating system
Woolley rightly challenges the incredible idea, held by some adults, that it is children who are peculiarly “fantastical” in their thinking. However, Woolley expresses little appreciation for “fantastical thinking” as it underlies the capacity for both grand delusions and amazing insights. In reducing “fantastical thinking” to conceptual error, she overlooks the mythical underpinning of her own theorizing and neglects the many constructive roles of “fantastical thinking” in development.