The train of thought or track of thought refers to the interconnection in the sequence of ideas expressed during a connected

discourse Discourse is a generalization of the notion of a conversation to any form of communication. Discourse is a major topic in social theory, with work spanning fields such as sociology, anthropology, continental philosophy, and discourse analysis. ...

or thought, as well as the sequence itself, especially in discussion how this sequence leads from one idea to another. When a reader or listener "loses the train of thought" (i.e., loses the relation between consecutive sentences or phrases, or the relation between non-verbal concepts in an argument or presentation), comprehension is lost of the expressed or unexpressed thought.Edward Parmelee Morris, "On Principles and Methods in Latin Syntax" (1901), Chapter VI: ''Parataxis'' The term "train of thoughts" was introduced and elaborated as early as in 1651 by

Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes ( ; 5/15 April 1588 – 4/14 December 1679) was an English philosopher, considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy. Hobbes is best known for his 1651 book '' Leviathan'', in which he expounds an influ ...

in his '' Leviathan'', though with a somewhat different meaning (similar to the meaning used by the British

associationists Associationism is the idea that mental processes operate by the association of one mental state with its successor states. It holds that all mental processes are made up of discrete psychological elements and their combinations, which are believed ...

References

{{reflist Logic Cognition Consciousness studies

See also

References