Newman's "Illative Sense"
|Since I have made reference a number of times on this blog to John Henry Cardinal Newman's "Illative Sense," I thought maybe I should give a brief over-view/definition, since it it not a very commonly known thing.|
By way of maybe some broader background that may help to get a better grasp - my introduction to it was in a class on "Reason and the Heart/Faith." The focus of the class was an examination of ways other than strict deductive reasoning that we can also have "true knowledge," such as "inductive" paths.
The best way to describe the "Illative Sense" as one of these "inductive paths to true knowledge" is by giving the primary example that was used for it in the course. If you have a scholar who has immersed himself in medieval Latin texts, you might put before them a text that is purported to be from say the 5th or 6th century, and they might tell you "I don't think so ... it doesn't feel like it." They may not be able to give you an explanation complete with notes on the particular style of specific elements and instances in the text and cite textbook definitions and "authoritative" expositions of Latin from that period that the specific elements do not conform to, but this does mean you should not trust their intuition. There is a certain "authority" in the fact that they have immersed themselves so heavily in primary texts from that period that they have a "feel" for it. Upon further study they may be able to provide you with more concrete arguments, but you should not withhold trusting their opinion simply because they have not yet provided you with such (or maybe never do).
That "feel" or "intuition" is a prime example of the "Illative Sense." It is in this sense that I say Rowling may have more of an "illative sense" for how to combine these elements in story form, rather than a "reasoned out" plan.
(another example of such "paths" to true knowledge, as studied in this course, was that of "divine charity as an objective characteristic in the world" - that approaching the world through charity not only puts you in a better subjective stance with regards to the salvation of your soul [under the categorical heading of "soteriology," the study of salvation as such] but it also puts you in a better stance objectively in regards to epistemology [which is the categorical study of "knowledge" or "how do we know," under headings such as "knowledge" vs "true beliefs" and "opinions"] because, being created by God, who is Love, the universe has charity objectively in its nature and you are objectively better suited to "know" that objective nature if you approach it with a corresponding charity. I mention this other "path" [which is not in competition with the illative sense - they can work together, and both work with valid reason] because it relates to one of the primary themes in HBP, Harry's advantage over Voldemort in being able to love.)