Über Gedanken

work by Bühler

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July 14, 2026

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Karl Bühler's seminal paper, "Über Gedanken" (1907), was a significant contribution to the Würzburg school of psychology, which explored the concept of imageless thought. Bühler's research demonstrated that the human mind is capable of abstract thinking without relying on mental images or past experiences to form ideas.1

He developed an experimental method called the Ausfragemethode (inquiry method) to study thought processes. This involved having subjects read passages or answer questions and then describe their cognitive experience. Bühler's work suggested that abstract thought is a distinct mental capability.1

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Karl Bühler
His seminal paper, “Über Gedanken” (1907; “On Thoughts”), was a major contribution to the Würzburg school of imageless thought; it demonstrated that the mind is capable of purely abstract thinking and does not need to use images or past observations to conceive of an idea. Bühler made his…
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His seminal paper, “Über Gedanken” (1907; “On Thoughts”), was a major contribution to the Würzburg school of imageless thought; it demonstrated that the mind is capable of purely abstract thinking and does not need to use images or past observations to conceive of an idea. Bühler made his…
Read More