Outlines of Psychology Studies in the Evolutionary Psychology of Feeling Mental Physiology Moral Pathology

Abstract

PROF. TITCHENER has followed up his translation of Wundt's “Vorlesungen über die Menschen- und Thierseele” by performing the same office for Külpe's “Grundriss der Psychologie.” This book is one of the most important of recent additions to psychological literature, and it is very fortunate that the task of translation should have fallen into such able hands. The result is an extremely accurate and readable version, supplemented by a new section on the experimental investigation of memory and association, written on the author's suggestion, an index of names, and several minor additions. Prof. Külpe has an acknowledged position as an experimental psychologist, and belongs to the school of Wundt, but his general attitude differs to some extent from that of his master, and more nearly approaches pure presentationism or associationism. The synthetic view of mind as built up of simple elements is rigorously followed, perhaps too rigorously, when the processes which are concerned in reaction time experiments are brought under the heading of connections of elements. The book has two chief divisions; the first deals with the elements of consciousness, which are divided into sensations and feelings, the former being subdivided into those peripherally excited, or, as more commonly called, presentational elements, and those centrally excited, or representational elements. The problems of association and memory are discussed under the latter heading. In the second division two modes of connection of these elements are considered. The first is termed fusion, of which the most striking instances occur in the cases of hearing and of the emotions. The latter are regarded as fusions of sensations and feelings. The second mode of connection was termed by Külpe “Verknüpfung,” and this has been translated “colligation.” This division is chiefly devoted to spatial and temporal relations. These are regarded as depending on “colligation ” of the conscious elements. As regards spatial perception, however, the author inclines towards a nativistic position; and if this were definitely adopted, this subject would come under the elementary conditions of consciousness, and would have to be treated in its more usual place in connection with sensation. This is the least satisfactory part of the book. A comparatively short final division deals with the nature of attention, which is held to be a special state of consciousness in which the elements already described are presented, and is not regarded as a condition or process apart from the conscious content. The author's attitude here seems to be separated by very little from that of the presentationist school. As already stated in NATURE, when noticing the German edition, the book is likely to be largely used as a text-book.

Outlines of Psychology.

By Oswald Külpe. Translated by E. B. Titchener. Pp. xi + 462. (London: Swan Sonnenschein and Co. New York: Macmillan and Co., 1895.)

Studies in the Evolutionary Psychology of Feeling.

By Hiram M. Stanley. Pp. viii + 392. (London: Swan Sonnenschein and Co. New York: Macmillan and Co., 1895.)

Mental Physiology.

By Theo. B. Hyslop. Pp. xv + 552. (London: J. and A. Churchill, 1895.)

Moral Pathology.

By Arthur E. Giles. Pp. viii + 179. (London: Swan Sonnenschein and Co. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1895.)