The thematic field

pp. 301-365

in: Aron Gurwitsch, The collected works of Aron Gurwitsch (1901-1973) III, Berlin, Springer, 2010

Abstract

Fringes, "psychic overtones," "suffusions" are defined by James as conscious counterparts of faint brain-processes. Such counterparts are experienced in the form of some awareness of "relations and objects but dimly perceived." James also traces the difference between "knowledge about" and "acquaintance" to the presence or absence of fringes. Acquaintance consists in the mere presence of some datum; knowledge about in the appearance of the datum in relation to something else. As far as this characterization goes, fringes belong with "transitive states" in general. An transitive states are, according to James, conditioned by submaximally excited brain-processes. Descriptively, transitive states are to be characterized as vague. Their function in conscious life is to lead from one "substantive part" to another.