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Citation Information
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Quinn, Edward. ""as if" fictions." Writer's Reference Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 10 May 2025. <http://fofweb.infobase.com/wrc/Detail.aspx?iPin=DLLT0088>.
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"as if" fictions

Definition 
A philosophical principle affirming the usefulness of acting on the basis of an assertion known to be untrue. This idea, associated with the German philosopher Hans Vaihinger, operates on the assumption of the irrationality of life and the conclusion that human thought is not capable of comprehending reality. Given the inherent limitations of the human intellect, Vaihinger endorses the validity of ideas he calls fictions. "An idea whose theoretical untruth . . . is admitted is not for that reason practically valueless and useless, for such an idea, in spite of its theoretical nullity may have great practical importance."

While not directly influencing specific writers, Vaihinger's theory helped to create an atmosphere in which the literature of modernism, with its emphasis on the validity of subjective experience, could flourish. It also opens the door to the validity of seeing myth as contributing to the well-being of society.

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