2844. Little children playing with objects imagine they are alive
I was shown vividly what little children's thoughts are like when they are playing with their own objects, pebbles, cups, (dockor 1), for little children were then leading me. When I picked some out for (de swate kerlen 2), then I felt as if they were seeing them as living, and when I put them at their side, that they did not imagine them as anything but alive, for they do not reflect on the fact that these are inanimate objects. 1748, 17 Aug.
Footnotes:
1. Swedish for "dolls."
2. Swedish for "the sweet fellows."
2844. THAT WHEN INFANTS PLAY WITH OBJECTS, THEY SUPPOSE THEM TO BE ALIVE.
It was shown me to the life, of what quality are the thoughts of infants when they play with their objects, pebbles, [and] vessels [dockor]; for then infants led me: when [de swate kerlen] I prepared these [toys] then I supposed, as it were, that they saw, that they were alive, and thus when I set these before them, that in no other view do they present these to their minds [quod nihil aliter proponunt], for they do not reflect upon the fact that [these things] are inanimate. - 1748, August 17.
2844. Quod infantes cum ludunt cum objectis, putent ea vivere
Ostensum mihi est ad vivum quales sunt infantum cogitationes, cum ludunt cum suismet objectis, lapillis, vasis, (dockor {a}) 1
, nam infantes tunc me ducebant; cum (de swacte kerlen {b}) optarem 2
ea, tunc quasi putabam quod viderent, quod viverent, et sic cum apponerem ea, quod nihil aliter sibi proponant 3
, nam non reflectunt in id quod inanimata sunt. 1748, 17 Aug.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has vasis :dockor:
2. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition aptarem
3. In the Manuscript proponunt in proponant emendatum esse videtur