Relating to or following the philosophical ideas of David Hartley, an 18th-century British philosopher and physician.
Derived from the proper name 'Hartley' with the suffix '-ian,' which converts names into adjectives. David Hartley (1705-1757) was a prominent figure in associationist philosophy, leading to the term's philosophical connotations.
Hartley's idea that all mental phenomena come from sensations and associations (not innate ideas) was radical for the 1700s—it made the mind seem like a mechanical process, which either thrilled or horrified thinkers depending on their philosophical bent.
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