IMAGINATION 



phenomena which can only be expressed in mathematical terms. 



In the study of infectious diseases, it is sometimes helpful 

 to take the biological view, as Burnet has done, and look upon 

 the causal organism as a species struggling for continued survival, 

 or even, as Zinsser has felt inclined to do with typhus, which he 

 spent a lifetime studying, personifying the disease in the 

 imagination. 



An important inducement to seeking generalisations, especially 

 in physics and mathematics, is the love of order and logical 

 connection between facts. Einstein said : i 



" There is no logical way to the discovery of these elemental 

 laws. There is only die way of intuition, which is helped by a 

 feeling for the order lying behind the appearance." ^^ 



W. H. George remarks that a feeling of tension is produced 

 when an observer sees the objects lying in his field of vision as 

 forming a pattern with a gap in it, and a feeling of relaxation 

 or satisfaction is experienced when the gap is closed, and all 

 parts of the pattern fit into their expected places. Generalisa- 

 tions may be regarded as patterns in ideas.^^ Another 

 phenomenon which may be explained by this concept is the 

 satisfaction experienced on the completion of any task. This 

 may be quite rnassociated with any consideration of reward 

 for it applies equally to unimportant, self-appointed tasks such 

 as doing a crossword puzzle, climbing a hill or reading a book. 

 The instinctive sense of irritation we feel when someone disagrees 

 with us or when some fact arises which is contrary to our 

 beliefs may be due to the break in the pattern we have formed. 



The tendency of the human mind to seek order in things did 

 not escape the penetrating intelligence of Francis Bacon. He 

 warned against the danger that this trait may mislead us into 

 believing we see a greater degree of order and equality than there 

 really is. 



When one has succeeded in hitting upon a new idea, it has 

 to be judged. Reason based on knowledge is usually sufficient 

 in everyday affairs and in straightforward matters in science, 

 but in research there is often insufficient information available 

 for effective reasoning. Here one has to fall back on " feelings " 

 or " taste ". Harding says : 



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