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An object of the mind is an object that in the or , but which, in the real world, can only be represented or modeled. Some such objects are , and in and .

Closely related are intentional objects, which are what thoughts and feelings are , even if they are not about anything real (such as thoughts about , or feelings of apprehension about a dental appointment which is subsequently cancelled). Tim Crane - Intentional Objects. However, intentional objects may coincide with real objects (as in thoughts about horses, or a feeling of regret about a missed appointment).


Mathematical objects
Mathematics and geometry describe that sometimes correspond to familiar shapes, and sometimes do not. Circles, triangles, rectangles, and so forth describe two-dimensional shapes that are often found in the real world. However, mathematical formulas do not describe individual physical circles, triangles, or rectangles. They describe ideal shapes that are objects of the . The incredible precision of mathematical expression permits a vast applicability of mental abstractions to real life situations.

Many more mathematical formulas describe shapes that are unfamiliar, or do not necessarily correspond to objects in the real world. For example, the , & , "A One-Sided, Sealed Surface—The Klein Bottle", in E. B. Burger, M. Starbird, T. Stonebarger, & T. Dunton, Joy of Thinking: The Beauty and Power of Classical Mathematical Ideas (Chantilly, VA: The Teaching Company, 2003). is a one-sided, sealed surface with no inside or outside (in other words, it is the three-dimensional equivalent of the Möbius strip)., Historical Encyclopedia of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (New York: Springer, 2009), p. 2029. Such objects can be represented by twisting and cutting or taping pieces of paper together, as well as by computer simulations. To hold them in the imagination, abstractions such as extra or fewer dimensions are necessary.


Logical sequences
If-then arguments posit that sometimes include objects of the mind. For example, a counterfactual argument proposes a or possibility which could or would be true, but might not be false. Conditional sequences involving subjunctives use intensional language, which is studied by , whereas studies the language of necessary and conditions.

In general, a logical antecedent is a sufficient condition, and a logical is a necessary condition (or the contingency) in a logical conditional. But logical conditionals accounting only for necessity and sufficiency do not always reflect every day if-then reasoning, and for this reason they are sometimes known as material conditionals. In contrast, indicative conditionals, sometimes known as non-material conditionals,Payne, W. R., "The Non-material Conditional". attempt to describe if-then reasoning involving hypotheticals, fictions, or counterfactuals.

for if-then statements identify four unique combinations of premises and conclusions: true premises and true conclusions; false premises and true conclusions; true premises and false conclusions; false premises and false conclusions. Strict conditionals assign a positive to every case except the case of a true premise and a false conclusion. This is sometimes regarded as counterintuitive, but makes more sense when false conditions are understood as objects of the mind.


False antecedent
A false antecedent is a premise known to be false, fictional, imaginary, or unnecessary. In a conditional sequence, a false antecedent may be the basis for any consequence, true or false.Murray, R., with Walker, J. J., & Wheeler, G. B., Murray's Compendium of Logic—with an Accurate Translation, and a Familiar Commentary (Dublin: M. W. Rooney, 1852; London: Simpkin & Marshall, 1852), pp. 150–151.

The subjects of are sometimes false antecedents. Examples include the contents of false documents, the origins of phenomena, or the implications of . Moreover, artificial sources, personalities, events, and histories. False antecedents are sometimes referred to as "", or "", whereas nonexistent referents are not referred to.Nickerson, R. S., Conditional Reasoning: The Unruly Syntactics, Semantics, Thematics, and Pragmatics of "If" (Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), pp. 5–258.

and often portray scenarios without any antecedent other than an artist's imagination. For example, mythical heroes, legendary creatures, gods and goddesses.


False consequent
A false consequent, in contrast, is a conclusion known to be false, fictional, imaginary, or insufficient. In a conditional statement, a fictional conclusion is known as a non sequitur, which literally means out of sequence. A conclusion that is out of sequence is not contingent on any premises that precede it, and it does not follow from them, so such a sequence is not conditional. A conditional sequence is a connected series of statements. A false consequent cannot follow from true premises in a connected sequence. But, on the other hand, a false consequent can follow from a false antecedent.Long, A. A., & , The Hellenistic Philosophers: Translations of the principal sources, with philosophical commentary (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987), p. 209.

As an example, the name of a , a , or a is a collective term applied ex post facto to a group of distinct individuals. None of the individuals on a sports team is the team itself, nor is any musical chord a genre, nor any person America. The name is an identity for a collection that is connected by consensus or , but not by sequence. A different name could equally follow, but it would have different or significance.


Philosophy
In and , Austrian philosopher advanced nonexistent objects in the 19th and 20th century within a "theory of objects". He was interested in intentional states which are directed at nonexistent objects. Starting with the "principle of ", mental phenomena are intentionally directed towards an object. People may imagine, desire or fear something that does not exist. Other philosophers concluded that intentionality is not a real relation and therefore does not require the existence of an object, while Meinong concluded there is an object for every mental state whatsoever—if not an existent then at least a nonexistent one. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "Nonexistent Objects: Historical Roots".


Philosophy of mind
In philosophy of mind, mind–body dualism is the doctrine that mental activities exist apart from the physical body, notably posited by René Descartes in Meditations on First Philosophy.


Invented sources
Many objects in fiction follow the example of false antecedents or false consequents. For example, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien is based on an imaginary book. In the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien's characters name the Red Book of Westmarch as the source material for The Lord of the Rings, which they describe as a translation. But the Red Book of Westmarch is a fictional document that chronicles events in an .


Convenient fictions
is composed of many standards and that facilitate , but which are ultimately objects of the mind. For example, is an object of the mind which represents. Similarly, signify and .

Objects of the mind are frequently involved in the roles that people play. For example, is a profession which predicates real jobs on fictional premises. is a game people play by guessing imaginary objects from short play-acts.

Imaginary and histories are sometimes invented to enhance the of fictional universes, and/or the immersion of role-playing games. In the sense that they exist independently of extant personalities and histories, they are believed to be fictional characters and fictional time frames.

is abundant with future times, alternate times, and past times that are objects of the mind. For example, in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by , the number 1984 represented a year that had not yet passed.

also represent objects of the mind, specifically, past and future times. In , which was released in 1986, the narration opens with the statement, "It is the year 2005." In 1986, that statement was futuristic. During the year 2005, that reference to the year 2005 was factual. Now, The Transformers: The Movie is . The number 2005 did not change, but the object of the mind that it represents did change.

Deliberate also may reference an object of the mind. The intentional invention of fiction for the purpose of is usually referred to as , in contrast to invention for or . Invention is also often applied to . In this sense the physical invention of materials is associated with the invention of fictions.

Convenient fictions also occur in science.


Science
The theoretical posits of one era's scientific theories may be demoted to mere objects of the mind by subsequent discoveries: some standard examples include and ptolemaic epicycles.

This raises questions, in the debate between scientific realism and about the status of current posits, such as and .

The situation is further complicated by the existence in scientific practice of entities which are explicitly held not to be real, but which nonetheless serve a purpose—convenient fictions. Examples include , centers of gravity, and in semiconductor theory.


Self-reference
A that names an imaginary is in some sense also a . A self-reference automatically makes a comment about itself. Premises that name themselves as premises are premises by self-reference; conclusions that name themselves as conclusions are conclusions by self-reference.

In their respective the , The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and the Red Book of Westmarch are realities, but only because they are referred to as real. Authors use this technique to invite readers to or to make-believe that their imaginary world is real. In the sense that the stories that quote these books are true, the quoted books exist; in the sense that the stories are fiction, the quoted books do not exist.


See also

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