Many of the modifications made in the revision are due to valuable suggestions and kindly criticisms received from many teachers of the text in various types of schools. To all who have thus helped so generously by freely giving the author the fruits of their judgment and experience he gladly renders grateful thanks.
Cornell College,
Iowa.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I | |
| How the mind is to be known: Personalcharacter of consciousness—Introspection the only means of discoveringnature of consciousness—How we introspect—Studying mental states ofothers through expression—Learning to interpret expression. 2. Thenature of consciousness: Inner nature of the mind not revealed byintrospection—Consciousness as a process or stream—Consciousnesslikened to a field—The "piling up" of consciousness is attention. 3.Content of the mental stream: Why we need minds—Content ofconsciousness determined by function—Three fundamental phases ofconsciousness. 4. Where consciousness resides: Consciousness worksthrough the nervous system. 5. Problems in observation and introspection | [1] |
CHAPTER II | |
| 1. Nature of attention: The nature of attention—Normal consciousnessalways in a state of attention. 2. The effects of attention: Attentionmakes its object clear and definite—Attention measures mentalefficiency. 3. How we attend: Attention a relating activity—The rhythmsof attention. 4. Points of failure in attention: Lack ofconcentration—Mental wandering. 5. Types of attention: The three typesof attention—Interest and nonvoluntary attention—The will andvoluntary attention—Not really different kinds of attention—Makingdifferent kinds of attention reënforce each other—The habit ofattention | [15] |
CHAPTER III | |
| 1. The relations of mind and brain: Interaction of mind and brain—Thebrain as the mind's machine. 2. The mind's dependence on the externalworld: The mind at birth—The work of the senses. 3. Structural elementsof the nervous system: The neurone—Neuronefibers—Neuroglia—Complexity of the brain—"Gray" and "white" matter.4. Gross structure of the nervous system: Divisions of the nervoussystem—The central system—The cerebellum—The cerebrum—Thecortex—The spinal cord. 5. Localization of function in the nervoussystem: Division of labor—Division of labor in the cortex. 6. Forms ofsensory stimuli: The end-organs and their response tostimuli—Dependence of the mind on the senses | [30] |
CHAPTER IV | |
| 1. Factors determining the efficiency of the nervous system: Developmentand nutrition—Undeveloped cells—Development of nerve fibers. 2.Development of nervous system through use: Importance of stimulus andresponse—Effect of sensory stimuli—Necessity for motoractivity—Development of the association centers—The factors involvedin a simple action. 3. Education and the training of the nervoussystem: Education to supply opportunities for stimulus andresponse—Order of development in the nervous system. 4. Importance ofhealth and vigor of the nervous system: The influence of fatigue—Theeffects of worry—The factors in good nutrition. 5. Problems forintrospection and observation | [50] |
CHAPTER V | |
| 1. The nature of habit: The physical basis of habit—All living tissueplastic—Habit a modification of brain tissue—We must form habits. 2.The place of habit in the economy of our lives: Habit increases skilland efficiency—Habit saves effort and fatigue—Habit economizes moraleffort—The habit of attention—Habit enables us to meet thedisagreeable—Habit the foundation of personality—Habit saves worry andrebellion. 3. The tyranny of habit: Even good habits need to bemodified—The tendency of "ruts." 4. Habit-forming a part of education:Youth the time for habit-forming—The habit of achievement. 5. Rules forhabit-forming: James's three maxims for habit-forming—The preponderanceof good habits over bad | [66] |
CHAPTER VI | |
| 1. How we come to know the external world: Knowledge through thesenses—The unity of sensory experience—The sensory processes to beexplained—The qualities of objects exist in the mind—The three sets offactors. 2. The nature of sensation: Sensation gives us our world ofqualities—The attributes of sensation. 3. Sensory qualities and theirend-organs: Sight—Hearing—Taste—Smell—Various sensations from theskin—The kinæsthetic senses—The organic senses. 4. Problems inobservation and retrospection | [84] |
CHAPTER VII | |
| 1. The function of perception: Need of knowing the material world—Theproblem which confronts the child. 2. The nature of perception: How apercept is formed—The percept involves all relations of the object—Thecontent of the percept—The accuracy of percepts depends onexperience—Not definitions, but first-hand contact. 3. The perceptionof space: The perceiving of distance—The perceiving of direction. 4.The perception of time: Nature of the time sense—No perception of emptytime. 5. The training of perception: Perception needs to betrained—School training in perception. 6. Problems in observation andintrospection | [98] |
CHAPTER VIII | |
| 1. The part played by past experience: Present thinking depends on pastexperience—The present interpreted by the past—The future also dependson the past—Rank determined by ability to utilize past experience. 2.How past experience is conserved: Past experience conserved in bothmental and physical terms—The image and the idea—All our pastexperience potentially at our command. 3. Individual differences inimagery: Images to be viewed by introspection—The varied imagerysuggested by one's dining table—Power of imagery varies in differentpeople—Imagery types. 4. The function of images: Images supply materialfor imagination and memory—Imagery in the thought processes—The use ofimagery in literature—Points where images are of greatest service. 5.The cultivation of imagery: Images depend on sensory stimuli—Theinfluence of frequent recall—The reconstruction of our images. 6.Problems in introspection and observation | [111] |
CHAPTER IX | |
| 1. The place of imagination in mental economy: Practical nature ofimagination—Imagination in the interpretation of history, literature,and art—Imagination and science—Everyday uses of imagination—Thebuilding of ideals and plans—Imagination and conduct—Imagination andthinking. 2. The material used by imagination: Images the stuff ofimagination—The two factors in imagination—Imagination limited bystock of images—Limited also by our constructive ability—The need of apurpose. 3. Types of imagination: Reproductive imagination—Creativeimagination. 4. Training the imagination: Gathering of material forimagination—We must not fail to build—We should carry our ideals intoaction. 5. Problems for observation and introspection | [127] |
CHAPTER X | |
| 1. The nature of association: The neural basis ofassociation—Association the basis of memory—Factors determiningdirection of recall—Association in thinking—Association and action.2. The types of association: Fundamental law of association—Associationby contiguity—At the mercy of our associations—Association bysimilarity and contrast—Partial, or selective, association—The remedy.3. Training in association: The pleasure-pain motive inassociation—Interest as a basis for association—Association andmethods of learning. 4. Problems in observation and introspection | [144] |
CHAPTER XI | |
| 1. The nature of memory: What is retained—The physical basis ofmemory—How we remember—Dependence of memory on brain quality. 2. Thefour factors involved in memory:Registration—Retention—Recall—Recognition. 3. The stuff of memory:Images as the material of memory—Images vary as to type—Other memorymaterial. 4. Laws underlying memory: The law of association—The law ofrepetition—The law of recency—The law of vividness. 5. Rules for usingthe memory: Wholes versus parts—Rate of forgetting—Dividedpractice—Forcing the memory to act—Not a memory, but memories. 6. Whatconstitutes a good memory: A good memory selects its material—A goodmemory requires good thinking—Memory must be specialized. 7. Memorydevices: The effects of cramming—Remembering isolated facts—Mnemonicdevices. 8. Problems in observation and introspection | [160] |
CHAPTER XII | |
| 1. Different types of thinking: Chance, or idle thinking—Uncriticalbelief—Assimilative thinking—Deliberative thinking. 2. The functionof thinking: Meaning depends on relations—The function of thinking isto discover relations—Near and remote relations—Child and adultthinking. 3. The mechanism of thinking: Sensations and percepts aselements in thinking. 4. The concept: The concepts serve to group andclassify—Growth of a concept—Definition of concept—Language and theconcept—The necessity for growing concepts. 5. Judgment: Nature ofjudgment—Judgment used in percepts and concepts—Judgment leads togeneral truths—The validity of judgments. 6. Reasoning: Nature ofreasoning—How judgments function in reasoning—Deduction and thesyllogism—Induction—The necessity for broad induction—Theinterrelation of induction and deduction. 7. Problems in observation andintrospection | [179] |
CHAPTER XIII | |
| 1. The nature of instinct: The babe's dependence on instinct—Definitionof instinct—Unmodified instinct is blind. 2. Law of the appearance anddisappearance of instincts: Instincts appear in succession asrequired—Many instincts are transitory—Seemingly uselessinstincts—Instincts to be utilized when they appear—Instincts asstarting points—The more important human instincts. 3. The instinct ofimitation: Nature of imitation—Individuality in imitation—Consciousand unconscious imitation—Influence of environment—The influence ofpersonality. 4. The instinct of play: The necessity for play—Play indevelopment and education—Work and play are complements. 5. Otheruseful instincts: Curiosity—Manipulation—The collecting instinct—Thedramatic instinct—The impulse to form gangs and clubs. 6. Fear: Fearheredity—Fear of the dark—Fear of being left alone. 7. Otherundesirable instincts: Selfishness—Pugnacity, or the fighting impulse.8. Problems in observation and introspection | [201] |
CHAPTER XIV | |
| 1. The nature of feeling: The different feeling qualities—Feelingalways present in mental content—The seeming neutral feeling zone. 2.Mood and disposition: How mood is produced—Mood colors all ourthinking—Mood influences our judgments and decisions—Mood influenceseffort—Disposition a resultant of moods—Temperament. 3. Permanentfeeling attitudes, or sentiments: How sentiments develop—The effect ofexperience—The influence of sentiment—Sentiments as motives. 4.Problems in observation and introspection | [226] |
CHAPTER XV | |
| 1. The producing and expressing of emotion: Physiological explanation ofemotion—Origin of characteristic emotional reactions—The duration ofan emotion—Emotions accompanying crises in experience. 2. The controlof emotions: Dependence on expression—Relief through expression—Reliefdoes not follow if image is held before the mind—Growing tendencytoward emotional control—The emotions and enjoyment—How emotionsdevelop—The emotional factor in our environment—Literature and thecultivation of the emotions—Harm in emotional overexcitement. 4.Emotions as motives: How our emotions compel us—Emotional habits.5. Problems in observation and introspection | [239] |
CHAPTER XVI | |
| 1. The nature of interest: Interest a selective agent—Interest suppliesa subjective scale of values—Interest dynamic—Habit antagonistic tointerest. 2. Direct and indirect interest: Interest in the end versusinterest in the activity—Indirect interest as a motive—Indirectinterest alone insufficient. 3. Transitoriness of certain interests:Interests must be utilized when they appear—The value of a stronginterest. 4. Selection among our interests: The mistake of following toomany interests—Interests may be too narrow—Specialization should notcome too early—A proper balance to be sought. 5. Interest fundamentalin education: Interest not antagonistic to effort—Interest andcharacter. 6. Order of development of our interests: The interests ofearly childhood—The interests of later childhood—The interests ofadolescence. 7. Problems in observation and introspection | [254] |
CHAPTER XVII | |
| 1. The nature of the will: The content of the will—The function of thewill—How the will exerts its compulsion. 2. The extent of voluntarycontrol over our acts: Simple reflex acts—Instinctive acts—Automatic,or spontaneous acts—The cycle from volitional to automatic—Volitionalaction—Volition acts in the making of decisions—Types of decision—Thereasonable type—Accidental type: External motives—Accidental type:Subjective motives—Decision under effort. 3. Strong and weak wills: Nota will, but wills—Objective tests a false measure of will power. 4.Volitional types: The impulsive type—The obstructed will—The normalwill. 5. Training the will: Will to be trained in common round ofduties—School work and will-training. 6. Freedom of the will, or theextent of its control: Limitations of the will—These limitations andconditions of freedom. 7. Problems in observation and introspection | [271] |
CHAPTER XVIII | |
| 1. Interrelation of impression and expression: The many sources ofimpressions—All impressions lead toward expression—Limitations ofexpression. The place of expression in development: Intellectual valueof expression—Moral value of expression—Religious value ofexpression—Social value of expression. 3. Educational use ofexpression: Easier to provide for the impression side of education—Theschool to take up the handicrafts—Expression and character—Two linesof development. Problems in introspection and observation | [294] |
Index | [307] |
THE MIND AND ITS EDUCATION
CHAPTER I
THE MIND, OR CONSCIOUSNESS
We are to study the mind and its education; but how? It is easy to understand how we may investigate the great world of material things about us; for we can see it, touch it, weigh it, or measure it. But how are we to discover the nature of the mind, or come to know the processes by which consciousness works? For mind is intangible; we cannot see it, feel it, taste it, or handle it. Mind belongs not to the realm of matter which is known to the senses, but to the realm of spirit, which the senses can never grasp. And yet the mind can be known and studied as truly and as scientifically as can the world of matter. Let us first of all see how this can be done.