"Kognitionspsychologie" ist ein neuer, kaum zwei Jahrzehnte alter Name fur eme freilich alte Sache. Die Psychologie der Erkenntnisfunktionen hat schon in der philosophischen Vorgeschichte der Psychologie ein
abgesondertes - wohl auch manchmal ein als absonderlich wahrgenommenes - Dasein neben den anderen, leichter zuganglichen Sparten unseres Fachs gefuhrt. David Humes 1742 erschienene "Inquiry concerning human understanding"
beginnt mit einer hubschen Kenn­ zeichnung dieser Eigenart: "Moral philosophy, or the science of human nature, may be treated after two different manners; each of which has its peculiar merit, and may contribute to the
entertainment, instruction, and reformation of mankind. The one considers man chiefly as born for action; and as influenced in his measures by taste and sentiment; pursuing one object, and avoiding another, according to the
value which these objects seem to possess . . . ". Die Vertreter dieser Richtung werden beschrieben als "borrowing all helps from poetry and eloquence, and treating their subject in an easy and obvious manner, and such as is
best fitted to please the imagination, and engage the affections". Dem stehen diejenigen gegeniiber, "(who) . . . with a narrow scrutiny examine (human nature) . . . , in order to find those principles, which regulate our
understanding, excite our sentiments, and make us approve or blame any particular object, action, or behaviour . . . While they attempt this arduous task, they are deterred by no difficul­ ties . . .