"",'lii i iii 'i M""! '■ti?!'!Lii«.'i'W""iii'i— '■ rii i I ,■ a; "THOU ^HAT TEACHEST ;. ANOTHER I TEACHEST THOU NOT THYSELF?" Southern Branch of the University of California Los Angeles Form L I \o5\ '( i i This book is DUE on the last date stamped below X A ^1975 SEP ^ SEP I ^ 1926 JUL 6 19*1 0^"'' T ^ 1927 ^yyr 8 6 i9fT 192 J Hf/jv , . iQ-:^^ ^ JAN 27 l^^^l i|pT)JtK ■' REC'DMUT -9-15»)(-8,'24 THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THOUGHT AND MEMORY A CONTRIBUTION TO PEDAGOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY ON THE BASIS OF F. W. DORPFELD'S MONO- GRAPH " IJENKEN UND GEDACHTNIS" '/^V WITH AN IN SQWi^&f^URfcALbUHi G. STANLEY II.VIy.L,j|^^^,. ^, . President of Clark University BY HERMAN T. LUKENS, Ph.D. DOCENT IX CLARK fNIVEKSITY BOSTOX, U.S.A. D. C. HEATH & CO., PUBLISHERS 1895 CorVKKiHT, 1806, By Hekman T. huKEXS. TTMMiBAi-iiv iir C. J. I'rrri'.KH * Son, Boston. F»W»«W">BK BY S. J. I'ABKinLI, & CO. STATE NOfiJWALSCH.H,. PREFACE. A SHOKT time ago a teacher complained to tlie author that she could not get any real help in her school-work from reading ps3'chologies and books on education. It is hoped that the following book will give help to such teach- ers, not only by the central idea that stands out so promi- nently, but by its copious illustrations and descriptions of mental phenomena, as well as by the practical applications in the last chapters. The teacher needs descriptive j^si/chol- ogy far more than metaphysical psychology. Even a few simple exercises, such as those recommended on page 5 for grammar school pupils, would greatly help teachers toward appreciating the character of the mental processes with which they have to deal. Observation work ^ thus begun will be found so interesting and attractive that J it will easily lead to further introspection and study of the **> laws of association (cf. pp. 41, 42). But still more help will be gained if teachei's will watch how their own pupils think and reason. Make notes of the observations, and compare them with such records as those reported in the Pedagoijical Seminary, vol. ii. pp. 358-396. There is nothing in all of this that any bright teacher cannot readily understand. But the mistake is too fre- quently made of supposing that whatever the teacher learns she must forthwith tell her pupils. Nothing could iv rUKl ACK. U" more fatal to good toachiii;-: tlian to attempt to make the chilli think logiciilly, or k-aru lessons by the Herbartian forin:U stei>s. Jiut every teacher should know how chil- ilrvii do think, and what the necessary steps in acquiring knowKnlge rtnilly an-, so as to be able to get out of the way anil not hinder the pupil's progress, as well as to be able when necessary to givi* just the help that is needed. The monograph treatment is eminently adapted to a work of this kind. Two of the most helpful and sugges- tive lKK)ks for teaehers are already published in this form : llaih'stiK'k's Jlahlt and Its Importance in Education, and I-oiige's Apperception. It is earnestly hoped that others will follow. Until the chief points in school-work are thus treated, we cannot expect any firm basis for a general work, nor would i\w teachers get much assistance from such general reading. For self-instruction, the teacher needs clearness, fulness, and practical apjjlicatio^is. These are the qtialities aimed at in a monograph. The (Jerman monograj)h on which the following work is ha.s«'d grew out of round-table conferences in a teachers' reading circle formed for the purpose of study in educa- tional psychology. In writing a book for American teach- ern I havi; tried to keep true to the best ideals in the fJ**nnan, while at the same time being perfectly free to a«ld to, omit, or modify, any statement or ideas whatever. When I visited Kector Dorpfeld in ISOO, to talk over these and other matters with him, he not only gave me full per- niiHsi«.n to translate his work, but urged me to make any chiuiges and a/lditions 1 saw tit. Thus it has come to pass that this work, while quoting very largely 'trom Dorpfeld's, and being based on it so far as its essential central idea is concerned, is yet in no strict sense a translation. When- ever better ideas have been found elsewhere, they have been unhesitatingly substituted. The explanation of the common origin of the two laws of memory, for instance, is radically opposed to the view expressed by Dorpfeld and all other Herbartians. But I do not believe in the Herbar- tian view on this ])()int, and hence have re-written that i>art entirely. The same is true of many other less important parts. All of the bibliographical references, and likewise many of the illustrations, are additions. On the other hand, everything that was essentially Ger- man and local in its allusion has been omitted. For the many controversial points with other German educators, and long explanations applicable to religious instruction in Germany only, the reader is referred to the German work. It is now in its fifth edition, in the present issue of the Collected Works of F. W. Dorpfeld, 11 vols. Giitersloh ; C. Bertelsmann, 1894-1895. Dorpfeld died in October, 1893. In conclusion, I wish to thank President G. Stanley Hall and Dr. Wm. H. Burnham for their encouragement and help in the work of revision and of publication. I am also greatly indebted to the following friends : President Charles De Garmo, Dr. C. C. Van Liew, Dr. Charles A. McMurry, and Dr. Frank j\[. McMurry, for valuable suggestions while the book was passing through the press. H. T. L. Clakk University, June, 1805. TABLE OF CONTEXTS. I'Ac; !•: Pkefack i'i-v IXTKOUrcTiox, by rrosidcut G. .Slaiilfy Hall ix CHAPTER I. Preliminaky 1~^ Statement of the TroWLMii, 1. —Orientation and p:xi)lanatiun of Terms, 3. —The Study of Psychology in the Elementary School, 5. — Clearness of Ideas, 7. CHAPTER II. The Processes of Thought and Memoky S-:'.8 A. Of Thought, 8-24. Comparison, 8. —Conceptions^ 9. — Spontaneous Concepts, .11. — Judgment, 12. — Reasoning, 14.— Graphic Syllogi.sm, 17. — For- mation of Sense Percepts, 19. — Elements of Thought, 'Jl.-?*- -> Simple Ideas, 2:5. — Pibliograpliical Note, 24. B. Of Memory, 24-38. Definitions, 25. — Examples, 2().— Memory in Conception, 28.— In Judgment, ;^. — Spontaneous Judgments, .31.— Memory in Reasoning, 3.3. —In Perception, :i4. — Apperception, 3.5. — Sum- mary, 3G. — Bibliographical Note, ;i8. CHAPTER III. The Laws of Thought and Memoky 30-88 A. Of ?J EMORY, .39-."):'>. Derivation of Laws of Association, .39. — Ari.stotle, 39. — Des- • cartes, 43. — Herbart and the Recent Writers, 4.5. — Relative Im- portance of the Two Laws, 49. — Bibliographical Note, 52. vii viii TABLK OF CONTEiSTS. PACK B. Ok TiioroHT, ri.Wl8. Plff«»npiict» bt'twiH'n tho Law.s ot I'sychology iiud those of Logic, "* ii(. riiv Law tif Concept ii>n, 7'_'. — Causes of Spontaneous Judg- iiiviilK, 7.1. — Exaniple.s, 74. — Disappointed Exi)ectation, 77. — Tlirvf Forms of Jud^nient.s, .so. — Comparison of Laws of Tliouglit and \(oiiitirk', 8'J. — Imagination, Hi. IMI.M'TKK IV. Al'IM.K ATIOV T»» PKDACJOr.Y . . . ..L 89-127 .vl- I. imitations, M>. — Steps in Aciiuiring Knowledge, 00. — Memory ill Appen-eption. !>.J. — Ways and Means of Committing to Mem- ■" - o f .Mumur i it i i i g . !>". — Ivelative Value of liational \s.s. Exiiiiipli- — .Sideetis«>phi<' or petlagogio attainment to interpret the tomes of those great and useful, but now obsolescent, writers is a note c»f provincialism from which, if all indications do not fail, we are siK)n to be emancipated. Save healtli alone, there is no more important and prac- ticjil topic for teachers to stud}- than that to which this little lMM»k is devoted. Its subject-matter is presented in a clear and elemental manner sure to have speedy fruit in the s<'ln>olr«H»m, and it is worthy the attention of all prac- tical teachers, to whom I have no hesitation in recommend- iiig it. I cannot forebear laying still more stress than does Hector D<')rpf
f instruction, ami no probloni of moral education into which tliese considerations do not enter at all periods of tl>o child's development. AltiiouK'h our theme end)raecs, to be sure, two subjects, yet the jxiint of view for their consideration is merely the r,/ation in which they stand to each other. Accord- ingly, there is no need of presenting either all that is known about thought, nor all that is known about memory, but of each subject only so much as is requisite in order to explain the relation between these two mental activities — first of all j»sychologically, and then ai)plied to practice in the school. In the second phu'e, it must not be lost sight of that it is mainly the practical field of ai)plication that gives the sub- ject its broad extent. Let us take an analogous example in physics. The laws of gravitation govern the material world of the whole universe. Nevertheless, the conception of the fon;e of gravitation, together with the most important gen- end laws relating thereto, can without difficulty be made intelligible by the helj) of well-chosen illustrative examples, together with something of the practical application of these general laws. It would be quite another thing, however, to trace out their application in all directions and ramifi- cations, — in the field of astronomy, geology, meteorology, etc. ; further, of architecture, mechanics, navigation, and the many other applied arts. What is possible in physics will j)n)bably ahso Ix; possible in psychology. Let us note once more our j)roblem distinctly. In the psyoliological portion of our work we have to consider the thinking j»rav assume as certain that in instruction he will lUJike many mistakes, even in the very first stages »»f the lesson, in particular by expecting more of the pupil's power of iHTception than he is capable of. A step farther. If such a knowledge of psychology is required in order to give even an object-lesson jjroperly, where things can be presentinl immediately to the senses, how much more neces- sarv is it when the object must be represented in language, iu which case the imagination must assist. Hesitles the senses, the mind has still another source of knowledge. The senses make report only of the phe- nomena of the outer world ; i.e., of the things, properties, prtK-esses (and their relations) in the world of matter. They say nothing, on the other hand, of the phenomena in the mind. These latter processes, belonging to the world of spirit, make themselves known immediately through consciousness. Thus the mind gains ideas not only of the things and processes outside, but also of the phenomena of its own inner life, especially of ideation itself, of feeling, exercise of will, and the relations existing between these. IIjiw else would the science of psychology be possible ? And all the (jther sciences of mind — logic, ethics, law, thcoh^gy, jx'dagogy, i)sychiatry, a'sthetics, philology, etc. — '• ■ 'ssentially from this second source. :<• is a 8i)ecial reason why pedagogy should turn its lu to this sec(»nd source of knowledge. Those sub- t the curriculum that have most directly to do with 'T-forming, as literature on its . humanistic side and history, belong in so far to the held of psychology. THE STUDY OK PSYCHOLOGY. 6 This is shown by the vast array of names and expressions there met with, that refer to mental qualities, states, and processes. The usual method of presentation aims to bring these concretely before the pupils' minds by the his- toric events, and by associating these latter with events in the experience of the pupils. But the teacher must be concerned to see to it that meanwhile this second source of knowledge in the pupil's mind is actually at Avork; i.e., that the words call up corresponding processes and states in the mind. The teacher can do considerable to help in this in two ways, the first of which is applicable through- out the whole course, from the lower grades up ; the second is only possible in the upper grades. The former work will be accomplished if the teacher directs the pupils' attention to psychic processes and states as they occur in the lesson, and does his best to make them definite and distinct. Three objects will be gained by this : first, this kind of instruction will be in the highest degree in tlie interest of character-building; secondly, the pupil learns to be observant of his inner life ; and thirdly, he is collecting in this way a desirable store of psycho- logical material and expressions for use later. The second part of the work consists of a number of separate lessons in psychology, using the material collected as above. In these lessons nothing more is needed than an arrangement and review of this material by topics; e.g., expressions of knowing (to deliberate, to consider, to find out ; silly, wise, ingenious ; judg- ment, question, statement, etc.) ; expressions of feeling (to mourn ; sad, desperate ; joy, sorrow, etc.), and expressions of willing (to resolve ; stub- born ; purpose, etc.). Rightly managed, this may G THOUGHT AND ISIEMORY. witli profit be beguu with children of ten or eleven years. The jieroeptions of sense from without, together with thuso of consi-iousness from within the mind, form the fun- dainentjU stock in trade of the intellect. Out of this raw material the soul creates new forms of knowledge, — con- cepts and imaginary ideas, judgments and conclusions. We may compare the intellectual activities of the soul to the commercial and industrial activities of the people. We di.stinguish here, (1) original production, which by agricul- ture, mining, etc., furnishes raw material ; and on the other hand, (2) manufactures, which make the raw goods into sometliing better; and lastly, (o) commerce and transpor- tation, which effect the exchange of goods of both kinds Ix'tween different regions. In this comparison we would call the sense perceptions (together with the inner per- ceptions) the intellectual raw production, and the other activities beyond these, mental manufacture and commerce. Now we are going to include all of these higher activities of knowledge, with the exception of imagination,^ under the name of "thinking." Ordinary usage gives to the word a wi0, when 1 visited him to consult about the subject of this work. Every one will do well to bear this advice ever in mind, and never be satisfied with a thought until it is followed out to its logical conclusions, and is as clear as it is possible to make it. Confusion of ideas is fatal to all sound work. In an article by Fullerton, Oh Siniienesn and Identiti/, in the Publications of the University of Pennsylvania, No. 1, there are enumeratti.l and illustrated no less than srven different meanings of the word ''same," which, one would think, shouhl certainly keep the "same" meaning better than any other word in the language. Yet, as the author points out, this very term has led to a host of misunderstamlings and false reasonings in systems of philosophy. Most of the prolonged and fruitless discussions in which we engage are based on a difference of use in our words, and the consequent misunderstandings they occasion. This is especially true of the mental sciences. The use of the word "concept" adopted in this book agrees with that of the great majority of writers on psychology, both in this country and in England. Indeed, I know of but two conspicu- ous exceptions. These are De Garmo, in his translation of Lind- ner's Psychology; and secondly, perhaps following this use of concept as equivalent to idea in its generic sense, M. K. Smith in her translation of Ilerbart's Psychology. I call attention to this difference in use, to prevent confusion. ClIAri'KIJ IT. TirE PROCESSES OF THOUGHT AND MEMORY. A. (>i- Thought. As already explained, avc understand by ''thinking" (^iii the nariDwer sense) all of those intellectual activities which, out of the raw material of the senses and inner ]x?rcei»tions, produce new material ; viz., higher (abstract) ideas. These at^tivities are usually divided into : compar- ing, distinguishing, forming concepts, judging, reasoning, etc. This division is not wrong; but if we examine these pHK-csses closely, we shall find that they all agree in hav- ing essentially to do with ideas, and differ only in the man- ner t>f presentation. Let us examine these processes singly. For simplifica- tion we will take the comparison of two objects, say two plants, tliat are not present to the senses. In order to iouipare them, they must be so well known that their mental images can be distinctly recalled to consciousness. Thereupon those jjroperties are sought out in which the}'^ lioth agree. When these are found and noted, — i.e., pre- s«M»te(l to tlie mind singl}', — the process of comparison has in so far reju'lied its end. It is, so far as w^e are now con- ' ■■■'"•d, tlje same as if the objects themselves were pres- •'» tlie sen.ses. In the latter case the qualities of tin- objects would be presented in the mind more vividly; l.,!t i.tlifTwise the ])rocess is the same. " will take next the forming of conceptions; and first 8 FORMATION OB^ CONCEPTS. d the so-called class-t-oiicepts (species, kind, family, order, class, etc.). The word "mountain," for instance, is asso- ciated in the child's mind at first with the perception of a single elevation, which he has seen and whicli he was told was a mountain. Later he becomes acquainted with sev- eral more such elevations, — small and large, wooded and bare, steep and gently sloping, rocky and sandy, etc. ; all are called mountain. Now, since those qualities wherein these elevations differed came into consciousness only in a few cases, perhaps only once, while those common to all occurred in every perception, and therefore by this fre- quent repetition became clearer and more firmly impressed, therefore as a result we find very naturally that those qualities occurring seldom have withdrawn, as too weak, from consciousness, while those common to all have come forward in consciousness, and become distinct. Finally, these latter alone remain, and are the content of the con- cept. But a concept may be formed on the basis of even a single observation, whenever any one or more qualities in a new object stand out with such prominence as to fasten the attention on them, and thus separate them from the other qualities. The first time a child sees a giraffe, he undoubtedly forms a concept that serves him even if he never sees another. But such concepts are almost sure to be faulty. The mental process is purely spontaneous and involuntary. Language, although not the cause of the process, has favored it very much. In the instance cited above, the fact that two or more different things bore the same name (naountain) aroused the attention, and so led to a clearer apprehension. Secondly, the result of invol- untary comparison was stop l)y step fixed in language, and so gotten ready for use. Of course the child has not l)een 10 THOrr.HT AND MK.MOl'A'. of any of these ])syehie processes, not even no- ; ^ ...a tlu- nu'uninj; of the word -mountain'' has been gradually i-hunj;ing, h>sing one after another the specific • ; iitifs. ami streni,'thenint,' into clear consciousness those i.:i)nion to all. Nor has he noticed that the word has narrowed its nieanin;j: (t-ontent), while it has broadened its application (^extent). AU)ve is sh«)wn the involuntary, spontaneous rise of general notions or concepts. To be sure, this mode of pro- " It' alone will never bring the concept to full com- ■ iiess. For even if really so nuiny examples presented tliemselves for observation that all the differing qualities . ' Id W eliminated, and only the similar ones retained,— .'. :. i li would be expecting a good deal, — still these latter are sehUim all distinctly noticed. It is very seldom indeed that we can enumerate them separately. But besides this a second (b'tieiency is possible. Among those qualities rightly recognized as common to all, may be found some insignitieant ones; i.e., such as do not change the nature of the «'oiicept. whether they are included or excluded. \ higically contplete concept must, however, omit such iiiticant characteristics, and retain only such as are .rial. In order, therefore, to bring to a conclusion tTiLS process of conception, and give rise to entirely clear and correct concepts, something additional is necessary. This is a conscious and voluntary investigation, so as to get rid, on the one hand, of all the accidental character- iiid, on the other hand, to bring into clear con- > all those that remain and are essential to the jtt. Thus in concepts of classes, or in particular ■ l>t« of individual characters, for example, if it is 1 what bidongs to the essential characteristics of spontanp:ous con'ckpts. 11 S(jme lii.st()ii(uil personage (Soc-rates, Napoleon, etc.), or of English nationality, this conscious and voluntary part of the work assumes a greater prominence. From the above, it seems clear that only in the field of science can we expect to find proper, logically complete concepts. The chief intellectual intercourse, even among people of culture, has to rely on the spontaneously formed general notions, which are never perfectly definite, and fre- quently contain something Avrong. This accounts for many misunderstandings and vain disputations. It is further phiin that all words, excejat proper names, denote not prop- erly perceptions, — unless it be when the child hears the word for the first time, — but general notions (concepts). Next to the formation of concepts, comes the apprehen- sion of the relations between things or processes, of which the causal and mathematical relations are the most impor- tant. Here, too, we nuike use of the word " conceive " ; and we shall find thinking in this case also is only a par- ticular way of presenting ideas in consciousness. We Avill take an example of the causal relation. What is the origin of our conception that cold is the cause of Avater changing into ice ? In the beginning it is quite sponta- neous. It is noticed that with a greater degree of cold, ice appears ; and again, that when the cold disappears the ice vanishes. This is, however, still by no means sufficient to give rise to the conception of a causal connection. For there are no innate ideas waiting, as it were, for outer stimulus in order to make their way into consciousness. The sequence of those two phenomena (cold and ice) is observed not only once, but again and again. This regular and invariable sequence of these phenomena produces the new idea finallv that the one thing iiiiist follow the other, 12 T 1 1 ore :nr and memory. that till' t'lu' iiluiioiuriiuii i-alls foftli tlio otlior. causes it. lltTfiUK.n tlu' iflatioii bi'tween the two facts, which before seciueU only teiiipoi-al, becomes apprehended as causal in its oritjin ; out of iioat (after) lias become pvojiter (on ac- emuit i»f, by means of). The furtlier details of this causal n*l:itiun can, of ctmrse, be learneil oidy by an investii^ation into the physii-al nature i>f cold and of -water. That the eont'cption of mathematical relations, as they occur in arithmetic, for instance, in tlie rundaiiicntal operations, in proportion, etc. rests likewise on simjde elementary per- cr]»tit)ns, is shown Nutliciently in the schoolroom. \\\' roiiu' now to the foiiuation of judgments. In the .simple pr«»position, *• Snow is white,'' two ideas are in con- sciousness, — sul)jeft and })redicate. We have here a .sredicute is comjio.sed, are so clear and so mobile in his mind, that the idea sought, which he has already learned idding. can now arise in consciousness. Tf this takes subject and jiredicate stand side by side in con- JUDGMENTS. 1 ?> sciousness : the judgmcMit is complete. That wliicli wmild cause the pupil trouble is uujicover soinething that comes properly before the act of judging ; for the latter is noth- ing else than an act of mental representation, wherein two concepts (in the sense of subject and predicate) stand together comi)lete in consciousness. (K course the judg- ment may be more complex than in the above exanii)les, — if either the subject or the predicate, or both, have a more complicated form. For example: — " In tlie Acadian land, on the sliores of tlic Basin of Miiias, Distant, secluded, still, tlie little village <>f Giand-Pre Lay in the fruitful valley." Here are associated with the subject (the village of Grand-Pre) certain characteristics (distant, secluded, still, little) ; and likewise the predicate (lay) is further, in local and other respects, more exactly described (in tlie Acadian land, on the shores of the Basin, in the fruitful valley). In this way arises one complex of ideas there grouped about the subject, and another one here forming the predi- cate. This does not, however, in any way change the fact that in both cases we have to do merely with the prese/ifd- tlon of ideds in consciousness. Although the two groups of ideas are at first held asunder as subject and predicate, in order that they may be more sharply examined and plainly apprehended, yet they combine again in con- sciousness to a compact mass of ideas which must be apprehended as a whole. The peculiarity of judgments, therefore, lies in this : tliat tlie two ideas or complexes of ideas separating at first as subject and predicate thus become more sharp and distinct, and therefore combine afterwards all the more readily. JudgnuMits are, accord- ingly, a chief means of niakliKj ideas plainer, and of im- [.[ TllorcJMT AND MEMORY. prrfsiiKj t/iiiii more Jinn ft/ on tin' niimJ. Tlu' reader Avill now see at oiu-e the iiuportiuu-e nl' the art of questioning-, as well as it-s speeial i)uri)ose. It shouhl Ih" renuuketl I'luthcr. that when we speak of a '•tluni.u'ht " we j^'enerally mean a judgment; but the ex- nri's.sjoii iiiav. in the wider sense, also stand for a single idea. We have y^t to analy/e the process of rensmihuj. Take the simplest possible example : — Major premise: New England belongs to the United StJites. Minor premise : Massachusetts belongs to New England. (.'oiiclnsion : Therefore Massaehusetts belongs likewise to the I'liited States. -\s is re;wlily seen, to reason is to judge. What is the differenee, then, between the syllogism and other judg- ments ? Logic says: reasoning means deriving a new judgment from two or more given ones. Let us look at the matter entire exactly from the psyt-hologieal side, and ask what takes jilace in our minds \vhen we reason. Whereas in the simple judgment only two concepts, sub- ject antl predicate, are held in consciousness, and repre- sented in tlieir relation to each other, in reasoning three concepts are present, and therefcn-e also three relations. Ill tin- ;il«)ve example the three c(mcepts are: New '" ' id. >Li,ssachusetts, and tlu^ United States. It is this ■ xity that makes reasoning mut since it had not previously been recognized, the liglit necessary to see it must have been Avanting; and if it is to be really noticed now, this illumination must coiiio to it from st)me source. But whence can this light oiMu«'. since the j)rocrss is a purely interjial one, and there- fort? cannot rweive help from the senses ? Evidently from the already known ideas, the premises. The successful result depends first of all on their clearness, and secondly on whether tliey are retained in consciousness until their light lias spread over the third relation. If this does not take place at the lirst attempt, it must be owing to the fa«'t that the full illumination is wanting; i.e., that the pn'liniinary ctuiditions — clearness and repose of the ideas in tli«> premises — are not yet fulfilled. In such case those two ideas must be repeated and kept in consciousness until, on the one hand, all indistinctness has disappeared from thrm, and, on the other hand, no more disturbance is caused by other ideas. We see from the above that even reasoning, Avhich at first api)ears so mysterious, is nothing more than a kind of mental presentation of ideas, which is distinguished from otlier mental presentations only in that it depends on the clearness of two other groups of ideas, and on these n-uiaining clear in cdiisciousness. That this is so, and indeed that reas<^ning differs from the sense perception of such relations only in that the former is a purely internal prfH-fss. while in the latter case the ol)jects are present to the senses — of this one can immediately convince one's self by representing symbolically to the senses the three f;i;Ariii<' svLLO(;isNr. 17 torms of a syllo^Msm, toLictlicr willi their rcUitions. This symbolical representation is usually made by three circles whose size and jxisition represent the three terms with their relations. In this way, as the text-books of logic show, all the figures of the syllogism may be represented graphically. The circle may stand as the symbol both of the content as well as of the extent of the concepts. The meaning of the figures will be most easily understood, how- ever, if the circles stand only for the extent of the concepts. The example given above belongs to the first and simplest figure of the syllogism, and is represented graphically, as in the margin. The three terms are here rep- resented in their extent by the visual image of the circles. The three relations of size, together with that of inclusion or exclusion, can be apprehended completely, as if they were so many sense perceptions. There is, accordingly, here no possibility of any difficulty in apprehending the third relation. This is, furthermore, the reason why the first example was chosen from geog- raphy, since the relation of size in the three terms is here of itself concrete. If the teacher Avants to make trial of the above drawing with his pupils, he may try it first with different words, so as to direct the attention to the size only. For example, the first circle (^lass.) is smaller than the second (X. E.) ; the second is smaller than the third (U. S.) ; therefore, etc. If he wishes to make the process still plainer and more concrete, he may place three pupils of different height in a row before the class. A is shorter is Tlloldirr AND MKMOUV. tliaii r», ami 1! is sIiuiUt than ('. H' now lie asks whether A is ;Uso shurU'r than ('. everv one will be ready with the answer, "Yes; certainly." From the above the reader will Ih? eon vi need that irasoniii;/ irlwii it takes jdace internalbj, ami icltfioiit niitirani hi'lji, is still preciscl if the same process as tchrn the t/irer tthjcrts are present to tlie senses. Further : that tlio suet-t'ss of the unaided internal reasoning depends entirely on whether the twt) premises can be clearly pre- sented and ri'tainiMl f(ir a time uiulisturbed in conscious- ness. The same is true of all the other forms of the syllogism. Why these latter are usually more difficult does nut concern us here. We liave now I'xamined in their main features the most imjMjrtant processes (comi)arison, conception, judgment, and reasoning) of the human understaiuling, and have found tljat each consists of a mental presentation of ideas in consciousness, or of a combination of new ideas. iM'torc wc take up the memory, I Avant to make a remark alxiut sense )»erceptions. Although this may not seem to lielong to our theme, still it will later be seen that the al»ove discussion, particularly one point in regard to the formation of concepts, is thereby desirably supplemented. Tin- mental picture of a complex object — e.g., of a mountain, jiiant, etc. — is usually thought of as a mental produet that lia,s come all at once into existence in this complexity, just as a photograph is made by one flash of the camera. Of course it looks as if we adults could certainly obtain a mental picture of such an object by a momentary glance of the eye. This, however, is an illusion, but more es- pm-irilly in the case of a child who is just beginning to use lii.-> M ii»cs. For perception even the simplest object is in FOKMATIOX OF SKNSF rEliCErTS. 10 reality coiniKmiHl. It consists of form, size, color, material, weijjflit, hardness, etc. ; and the form is, in addition, com- posed of elements even in the case of the simplest body, namely, a sphere. In a simple tone we may distinguish four elements, — pitch, color, intensity, and duration. Now, the only way in which any one can secure a distinct per- ception of any complex object is by quickly or slowly, or even at different times, examining and noticing every char- acteristic separately. Furthermore, be it remembered, every characteristic must be repeatedly observed before the first (obscure) impression can grow into a (clear) per- ception. Such a perception is, accordingly, to be thought of not as a picture made with a flash light, as it were, but as a mental product consisting of a number of simple or single ideas; viz., as many as there were characteristics noted. In short, it is a complex of ideas. In this sense the saying, " Our knowledge is piece-work," may be applied here. This complex appears to consciousness, of course, as a whole or unit, because the object is a unit. As a rule, concepts also, as we have seen above, are com- plexes of ideas, but of an entirely different kind. In sense perception the characteristics combine in the idea because they are united in the object ; on the other hand, in concep- tion we have only definitely selected characteri^ics ; namely, such as have been chosen by comparison of several ideas, thus separating, first of all, common characteristics, and afterward from these, by a more exact examination, the essential ones. This knowledge that both sense percepts as well as concepts are complexes of ideas, should direct our attention to several other important questions. 1. Why is a concrete percept fresher, more vivid, and nu)V(' cl'fcclive than tlu; corrcspoiuling concept, although '20 riiorciiT anp mk.mory. the lattor is loss (•niiipouiKl than the former? It seems uow vt'i-v jfenenilly atlmitti'd that thought is always accom- jKinieil bv iiuttor inaiiit'ostations. These are, of course, more pronouiu-ed in the ease of sense perceptions, and de- crease iti intensity more and more as the ideas become uiore abstrai't. In abstrai-t ideas of the scientific sort, this motor element is reduced, it would seem, to the mere word, so far as it api)ears in the innervation of the muscles of speech. This being the case, it would seem clear that the freshness and power of concrete ideas depends, for the most part, on this re-enforcement received from the motor element. Some go so far as to say that all volition, even tlie calling up of the visual or auditory images in the mind, is cITected by the innervation of muscles, and that the only jMjssible expression of will power is through muscles. So far ;vs this is true it throws important light on the subject of physical culture, and gives a new reason for muscle training.* L'. Since I he single ideas which go to make a concept are also contained in the different complexes of ideas out of wliich they were chosen, as well as in the other complexes of ideius that belong under this concept, and since, further, e;u-h of these single ideas united with others occurs in still very many other complexes which do not belong to this i'oncept, how is one to think of the existence in the mind • Itilmt. nloiij; witli many otiiers, accepts as "a fuiulaniental law that tin- rctlox 18 tlie solo tyi)*' of all iioural action, of all relation," and hence t)i;it "<'v<'r)' Ktatt' of consciousness always has a tendency to express it- )"l(. to iiiaiiifrHt itself, by a movement, an act." See Ribot's Diseases o/ i/ir Will, pHi/rhnlnt/i/ of AUrnlio7i, and Diseases of the Memorij, three liiilf booki of r_'()-'_»00 j>:it;<*s each, full of very sn,2;g;estivo ideas for every i<'.i ideas, of tlie complexes of ideas, and of the concepts ? In other words, and more exactly, docs such a single idea (e.g., round, four-cornered, long, short, broad, narrow, bitter, sweet, learned, smart, foolish, just, etc.) exist many hundred times in the mind, — once pcrhajis as a single idea, then so and so many hundred times in different lower and higher concepts ; then, again, so and so ijiany thou- sand times in sense perceptions, — or must one think of it in an entirely different way? And how do the concei)ts and sense perceptions themselves exist in the mind ? This is not the place to attempt a final solution of these (questions by argument; but a com[)arison with another field of phe- nomena that lies open to every one's observation can i)er- haps put us on the track of a correct understanding. This field of phenomena is human society. There are here, first of all, individuals ; further, families, groups of friends and relations, civil and religious communities, cities, towns, states, nations, federal unions, guilds, railroad companies, singing-societies, missionary societies, and all the other many small and large associations for different ])urposes. All of these exist; but liow do they exist ? Is the exis- tence of an individual of the same sort as that of a society ? Does each human being exist first as an individual, and then once more as a member of a family, and once more, again, as a member of society, and further, as many times as there are different associations to which he belongs? To be sure, we say the family, the community, the state, etc., exist, and of course they do exist; but what is it in each of these cases that exists hodihj? Evidently that whieli exists as an actual being is only the individual. The names, family, circle of friends, singing-societies, etc., de- note not actual beings, but only relations of bodily beings 22 TiiormiT and imemouy. or iniliviihuils to one another. They are concepts of rela- tion. That which exists in human societies is nothing more than tliese rchitions, and they exist only as qualities of inilividuals. Thus, for instance, friendship has its ex- jsionce in the mutual affection of those concerned, — the nation, in the hiui^Muige Avhicli its members speak, — the .stH-ial ori,'anizations in the consciousness of common in- terests, and perhaps also in sympathetic feelings, etc. These relatit)ns are also sometimes very well expressed in outward forms to the senses : thus nationality in the audildc and visible forms of language, the other associa- tions by written statutes, by symbols of recognition, etc. ; but all of these are only si(/ns of the relations or real quali- ties of individuals. Moreover, the associations can also carry on all sorts of work, great and small, — present operas on the stage, build railroads, fight battles, spread culture, etc. ; but the real power that accomplishes this work is not in tlie "singing-society," "railroad company,'' "state," «* school," etc., but in the separate children of men which have applied their hands to the undertaking. There is, of course, no "spirit of the times," "class spirit," etc., in ac- tual existence outside of rhetoric and poetry. Wliat you the Spirit of tlie Ages call, Is uotliing but the spirit of you all. Faust, part i. scene i. If accordingly one wants to know what really exists in the concepts, community, state, etc., one must turn to the sf»j»arate human beings. Thus, a person may be by pro- f«'ssion engaged as a teacher ; the same person, however, is I>or]iai»s. at tiie same time, husband, father, son, brother, ote. ; in another relation the same person helps represent a religious and a civil community; furthermore, a state, SlMl'LK IDEAS. 23 a schoolmasters' association, a charity organization, etc. Notwithstanding all of these divisions of a person's life, the person docs not become divided, but remains as he is, — an individual, iiiiHrlsihlc ; and just as little is he multi- plied in number, remaining what he is, — a single i)erson. It is precisely the same with the intellectual products of the mind, the separate ideas and their different com- binations, — percepts, concepts, imaginary ideas, trains of thought, complexes, and systems of ideas. (!orres})onding to the individuals in society are here the simple ideas; i.e., the partial ideas or characteristics. Such an elementary idea helps at one moment, united with others, to form a sense preception ; at another moment, a concept or an ima- ginary idea ; and so from moment to moment still other com- plexes of ideas. Nevertheless, it exists in the mind only once, — just as a person exists only as a single being. All complexes of ideas, on the other liand, exist in the mind not as separate things outside of and in addition to the simple ideas — or else each of the latter would have to be present as many times as it has entered into combinations. Notwithstanding this, since these complexes appear in consciousness as complete wholes, they seem to be separate things. All that is to be regarded as essentially existing in these phenomena — aside from the constituent elements or simple ideas — are solely the laws of association by means of which these separate ideas are called into con- sciousness at the same time. This point, — namely, that only the simple ideas are the proper mental existences; that, on the contrary, all complexes of ideas are only tran- sient combinations, — must be distinctly understood and kept firmly in mind, if one is ever to escape from the fog and din of psychological discussion. TUit this also opens •J I THOUGHT AND MEMORY. ui» a viow into tlie woiulorlaiul of the soul, so that one lUtea not know which to lulniire the more, — the illimitable diversity of phenomena, or the extraordinary simplicity of the L'ontrolliug laws. If l\w n'ador is at all Incllneil to follow out the relation of logic to psyihulogy, and particularly of the different figures of the syllogism ill sonso-poroeplioii and ahstraction, he will find a very profitable tlisiHission from the Hegelian standpoint in Harris's Introduction to the Sillily of Philomphy, Section V., where Dr. Harris "develops some new insight into the nature of sense-perception," which he "has receully discovered after many years' study on the subject" (p. W). On the processes of thought, see Dewey's Psychology, chap, viii., '• Thinking" ; a clear and concise account. Sully, in chap. ix. and x. of the (hitliucs of Psycholoijy, is particularly good, since his descrip- tion is from the psycholoi)earance of our father's house outside and in- side, witli all its rooms and furniture ; likewise our parents, otlier relatives and neighbors, and the whole landscape of the liome of our childhood, with all its roads and paths, mountains, valleys, woods, fields, and groups of houses. Similarly we can recall with ease the mental picture of other houses and places in which we have lived for any considerable time. The mother tongue is also learned in tliis way, so far as it takes place without regular instruc- ti(»n. In all of these and similar cases there has been a fnvjuent repetition of the perceptions, which fact is the cau.se of the distinctness, fidelity, and certainty of their roprcKhiction; but the repetition has not been intentional. The exact reverse of these examples would be such re- EXAMPLES, 27 production as takes place after only once receiving tlu; im- pression. In such cases tliere is neither intentional nor unintentional repetition to help the memory. Thus, for example, if the teacher after relating a story, thereuixju asks cpiestions in regard to its main features, or calls for its repetition at once ; or if he calls on his pupils to repeat after him a sentence or a verse ; (jr if a child after he has once been taken to a distant place, then has to find his way thither alone. In all of the above examples the act of reproduction is prominent. l>ut there are also mental processes in which the memory plays a part without our usually thinking of it. These cases are for our investigation (piite as impor- tant as those above, and must also be illustrated by some examples. What is meant when we say that the pupils have satis- factorily understood what was told them in the history lesson ? What is it that has taken place in their minds ? "Let us see. First of all, the pupils have heard the spoken words ; or, more exactly, they have had auditory sense perceptions. In the second place, with each word and sen- tence as heard the sense has occurred to their minds ; i.e., the mental pictures of the things denoted by these words (persons, objects, processes, and relations) have had to ap- pear in consciousness. Now, all this presupposes, of course, that the meaning of the expressions used was already known. In order to understand what was related to them, the pupils have therefore had to recall continually- to mind already known ideas. At the sound of the words these ideas arose from the depths of the mind into consciousness, and so grouped and arranged themselves that tlie story seemed to take place, as it were, before the very eyes of % 28 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. the pupils. This prtx-ess of umlorstainliug devieruls accord- ingly on the working together of two entirely different men- tal proeesses : — (1.) On a new perception (tlirough the ear) ; and (^L'.) (hi a resulting reproduction of old ideas. When we say that such an understanding requires ima- gination, we mean, first of all, to say that the persons, ob- jtrts, and events, which the pupils are to think of, do not stand before their eyes bodily, and therefore cannot be per- ceived by the senses. The expression merely emphasizes the second factor of the process, — recollection.^ All that is said above in regard to understanding what is orally related is of course true of oral instruction of every kind, as well as of conversation and of reading, except that in the latter case sight takes the place of hearing. In short, the immediate understanding of language of any kind depends on the two factors named, — the sense percep- tion of the verbal forms, and the resulting reproduction of the a.ssoeiated ideas. We will now examine the process of the formation of concepts, to see what i)art memory plays here. We saw alx)ve how the child in an entirely natural and spontaneous way prm^eeds gradually from the percept " mountain," to the concept " mountain." AVhen he sees another elevation, and says, *' That is a mountain too,^' this shows that the former image; must have occurred to him again. Even the very name used is recalled ; and this fact bears witness that its meaning also, the idea, has returned more or less dis- tinctly. When a third, fourth, or fifth mountain is seen, > No nlliiKJon is liere made to that free scope which tlie imi^gination ha*, or iniKht have, iu such a case as the above, iu picturing the details that arc not described in words. MEMORY IN CONCEPTION AND JUDGMENT. 20 this reproduction is repeated ; for if it were not, the foniui- tion of the concept couhl not proceed. All of this shows plainly that even in the spontaneous rise of concepts, memory is an essential factor. From step to step the new perception forms the first factor, and the reproduction of the corresponding earlier idea, the other factor. And it is the latter that is essential to the process ; while, on the other hand, the sense perception, as we shall see later, may in other cases be replaced by a reproduced idea. But the spontaneous f(jrmation of concepts must be suj)- plemented by instruction. With this purpose in view the teacher may have his })upils observe and compare two or more objects present to their senses, or pictures of such objects. If, however, the objects in question are already known to the pupils, the comparison might take place as a purely internal process, relying on reproduction alone. If they are incorporeal in their nature, as is mostly the case in the field of mental sciences (e.g., if peculiarities of char- acter, moral and religious causes, social relations, etc., are to be considered), the comparison cannot be otherwise than purely internal ; i.e., based on reproduced ideas. The only reason why school instruction seeks to present material objects to the senses when they are being studied, is, on the one hand, to make the comparison easier ; and, on the other hand, to be able to correct any mistakes promptly, — in a word, in order more certainly to secure a good result. Ac- cordingly, it is not essential to the process of conception, that the objects be presented to the senses ; this process merely presupposes that there are concrete ideas present in the mind. They form the raw material, out of which' something 'new is to be created ; and it makes no difference whether these were gained earlier, or were just received, or were again refreshed by perception. 30 THOrciHT AND MEMORY. It is viTV simihir with tlu> I'onuation oi jmhjments. In this prDC'oss, as we saw before, two ideas — subject and pmlirate — eonie into consciousness together, as if they belonged together in this particular relation. It was further to be noticed that this separation into two of what was still to be thought of as one, has the purpose and result of laying greater stress on one of these ideas ; namely, the predicate. The judgment, "The boy is writing," means essentially nothing more than the expression, "a boy writ- ing." There is, however, this important difference between the two mental acts, that in the latter case the character- istic " writing " is of the same dignity as the rest, while in the tirst case it receives all the emphasis of a chief charac- teristic. One step farther. If this selection of a single feature out of a complex idea, as it is outwardly repre- sented in a judgment expressed in language, is actually an act of the mind, which would take place according to natural laws even without the mediation of language, then the formation of judgments must be just as spontaneous as that of concepts. I'ut if this is so, \\o\\ does the mind come of itself to adopt this judgment form ? In other words, what is the natural and spontaneous process of making a judgment? As preliminary to the answer, we may say at once, that if, instead of an ordinary complex idea (for exami)le, a boy writing), there arises in the mind a judgment idea (the boy writes), or, in other Avords, if out of a complex idea a single characteristic rises in conscious- nes.s superior to the rest, there must have been some im- pulse present to cause it. We must try to find this impulse. If we discover it, all that was obscure in the making of judgments will ])r()bably become clear. There is one incentive to tlie making of judgments which, SPONTANEOUS JUDGMENT. 31 though artificial in its iiuture, school practice has known from time immemorial ; and wherever it has been rightly understood, it has been diligently employed. It is the interrogative form. A question is, as already remarked above, an incompleted, half-finished judgment; one portion of a complex: idea, whether subject or predicate, is named, while the other part is to be sought. IJoth subject and predicate may be named, of course, in the question, but in such a manner as to require some further qualification of the one or tlie other. The interrogative form accord- ingly makes the p\q)il notice an omission in an already known complex idea, and points to it with the finger, as it were. That is the external impulse. In the attention thereby roused and directed to this omission, lies the in- ternal impulse ; so that the idea sought is, on being found, brought more strongly and separately into consciousness. This completes, then, the act of judgment ; for a judgment is, as we must keep well in mind, not a mysterious miracle, but nothing more than the simple process by Avhich, out of a conscious complex idea, a partial idea arises so strong as to gain separate attention. The interrogative form is there- fore an example of how through language a person may intentionally lead another to make use of the judgment form ; but we have yet to seek the impulse that calls forth spontaneous judgment. In this case the source must be in the object ; i.e., some characteristic of the object itself must strike one prominently. All natural circumstances which arouse the attention, — provided they direct it to some- thing definite, — find their expression spontaneously in the form of judgments. Every good language lesson will make abundant application of this principle. Teachers have every cause to pay special attention to that part of psy- 32 TnorniiT and isiemory. choloijy whii'li tivats of spontaneous attention. The most prominent of those incentives to attention is contrast, which we will illustrate b}' a couple of examples. Suppose a child has, until now, seen only red roses. When he sees a yellow one for the first time, his attention will be roused. The present sense idea recalls the earlier imago of such flowers, so that there are now two ideas in consciousness. In so far as they are alike they are taken in as a matter of course, and no notice is taken. The differing characteristic, "yellow," on the other hand, which causes tlie contrast, attracts attention, and pushes to the front in consciousness. Although the i\ew object is per- ceived in its totality, still •this differing characteristic is prominent, and therefore gains special vividnessu It is, properly speaking, a new piece of information. Now, it is just this peculiar state of ideas that we call a judgment. It is plain to see, moreover, why the expression, " a yellow rose," in which the characteristics are co-ordinated, does not satisfy the mind, but only the ^^oiVi^ecZ judgment, ''This rose is yellow.''^ It makes no difference whether this is spoken or not; for judgment is a purely mental pro- cess. Take another example. A team of two black horses is passing by. To an observer the sight would prob- ably pro«luce an idea such as would find expression in the ' The Chinese language is not inflected, and, like other languages origi- nally, operalefl with word roots of only one syllable. The position of the qualifying wonl Ix-fon; or after the substantive distinguishes the attribu- livo from the judgment form. Thus the sound ta means, without any change of form, great, greatness, and to be great. If ta stands before a HulMtantive, it has the meaning of an adjective. Thus ta jin means a f^reat man. If tn stands after a substantive, it is a predicate, or, as we ■hniihl »ay, a verb. Tliu8ji//t ta (or jin ta ye) would mean. The man is «Ti-at. Sec Max Miiller, Lectures on the Science of Language, i. p. MEMORY IN JUDGMENT AND REASONING. 33 words, "two black horses." If, liowcvcr, one of tlie horses is white, the contrast wonhl attract notice, and lead to the more pointed expression, " One horse is l)lack ; the other is white." The reason fen- the dcjiiljle judgment, as one sees, is the fact that the two rival objects appear simultane- ously to the senses, and therefore have ecpud claim to be regarded or judged. We now return to our t)rigin;d point of view, and inquiie in what measure memory lielp^ in the formation of judg- ments. Tliis depends in each case on whether the two ideas which lead to the judgment are from immediate observation or are reproduced. The former condition, iis in the last, example, above, will seldom be fultilled. In- stances' suck as 4l;^e first example aljove, in which one idea is a perce[ition, the other a recollection, are much more freqiient. lii, the field of the mental sciences, in which most ideas are conveyed by language, both terms of the judgment must be, for the most part, reproduced ideas. We have been considering the unintentional or entirely spontaneous judgments. When, however, the process is intentional and meditated, we find just the same three cases ; only it is to be noticed here, — e.g., in silent medita- tion, in conversation, or in the composition of any writing, — that the reproduced ideas are still more frequent. Accord- ingly, an abundant supply of ideas by the memory is re- quisite for the ready exercise of judgment. It is hardly worth while to speak separately of the process of reasoning, since it has to do with judgments, and its conclusion is likewise a judgment; and therefore all the above discussion applies equally well to it. What has now been said of the origin of concepts, judg- ments, and reasoning, shows that even in these processes ;■;} THOrC.HT AXD MEMORY. of thinkiug proper, memory plays a much greater part than is commonly believed. Nor have we called to miud yet all the assistiim-t! llwit memory renders in the process of thinking. Wo saw above that the understanding produces new ideas, either conceptual or judgmental in form. Either : — Ftrsf, on the basis of two perceptions ; or, Sn'omi/f/, on the basis of a perception and a reproduced idea; or Thirdli/, on the basis of two reproduced ideas. -^ We liave assumed above that sense perception is ex- clusively an activity of the senses, and that it belongs, therefore, entirely to the elementary raw production of the mind. This is, however, not the fact. Only in con- trast to the new ideas which are produced in thought and imagination can the perceptions rightly be called raw products. It is, of course, true that perceptions of the outer world are possible only through the senses ; but that is not saying that they are exclusively a product of the senses. The senses by themselves never produce anything but sensations, even in the case of the practised senses qf ailults. Suppose, for instance, that a certain object has once j)r(Mluced a sensation in the mind ; wlien this takes place later, a second time, this new sensation will recall the former one. This reproduction does not, however, result in a twofold sensation, or double seeing; but, since the two sensations are comi)letely alike in their content, they coalesce in consciousness into one act ; in other words, tln'y unite in result, so as to be much stronger intensively than the first sensation was. With every following new ' For tho sake of brevity we sjieak here of two ideas, but of course in •very ca»c there may bo several. APPEIlCErTION. 35 sensation coming from the same object, this reproduction of previous similar sensations, or of their last total result, is repeated, as well as their coalescence in consciousness. As this composite act becomes intensively stronger and stronger, i.e., plainer, it comes at last to be what we cull perception. Thus, although an act of sensation must be oft repeated if it is to give rise to a perception, still the real reason of the superiority of the latter, as one sees, does not lie in this repeated production of the new sensa- tion, but in the resulting production of the already present similar sensations. The fact that Ave are not conscious of the reproduction in these cases is because the newly pro- duced sensation and that which is reproduced are com- pletely, or at least essentially, alike, and therefore at once run together, or fuse into one act of sensation. Later on, when these combined acts have perfected themselves into an objective perception, we often notice very plainly that a reproduction has taken place ; for in these cases we speak of " recognition." If now, as we have seen, even the ap- parently primitive perception receives its main strength from a reproduction of former sensations, it is plain that those processes of conception and judgment which are prompted by a transient perception (see above, p. 34) also receive this sense element chiefly from recollection, rather than from the senses direct. For the present, let us lay particular emphasis on this fact, that knowledge is necessary for the assimilation of knowledge. If some would object to the use of the word apperception in such an extended meaning, they will at least have to content themselves with the fact that in all the operations of the mind the memory plays a more or less conspicuous part, and is always essential to the con- 3(» TllorciIT AND IMEMOllY. Sfjous processes of thought. Lange and De Garmo do not hesiUiti' to say that "all learning is apperceiving." The roprtKluced ideas arc the '' api)erceptivc organs" for grasp- ing and itssiniilating the new. Wo ean elose our i-nipirieal treatment of the memory here, and sum up the results as follows : — {'I.) Mkmokv in the widest sense is the mental capacity of retaining and recalling all the sensations and percep- tion.>*, as well as all the products of thought and imagina- tion, wliether ideas, feelings, or volitions, which have cwistod in consciousness, including all the associations formed among these mental states. (ft.) In tlie memory we must distinguish a^Jrtsstwe and an art ire sii(j-seen-to(jt'.ther ; not in the contiguity in space, but in the contiguity in time, — in a word, in the simultaueousness of perception. This new discovery, being approved by further trial, showed the first hypothesis to be insuiiicient. The latter had helped the investigation upon the track, but had not reached the goal ; it was not entirely false, but the de- cisive point was lacking ; it contained only half the truth, not the whole. Of course it does not make any difference whether the Greek psychologist went to work in just this way or not; his investigation resulted in a classification into four kinds of relations. And, as a matter of fact, all cases of recol- lection, however varied they may at first view appear, may be divided into these four categories, as any one can try for himself if he will take the trouble. These four forms of recollection are as follows : — 1. Simultaneously formed ideas reproduce one another. (Examples above.) 2. Ideas in continuous scries reproduce one another, — most easily in the order in which they were formed. Ex- amples : The words and sentences in a selection committed to memory ; the stations and stages in a journey ; the events in a story that has been heard or read ; the occurrences in one's own life, etc. 42 THOUGHT AND ISlE.MOllY. 3. Similar ideas reproduce one another. Examples:, Liko-soundiiiLj exinessions, as in rhyme and alliteration; similar historii-al facts (thus David and Jonathan's friend- ship recalls that of Damon and Pythias; the giving of the law by Moses, the legislation of Lycurgus and Solon, etc.). Here belong also the cases in which a thought calls up a comparison ; further, that reproduction which helps to form clear i»ercei)tions out of sensations, and that also which leads to the si)ontaneous forjnation of concepts and judg- ments, etc. 4, Coitti'dstrd ideas reproduce one another. Examples: The sight of great luxury and waste reminds one of poverty and misery ; a deed of distinguished courage recalls an ex- am])le of cowardice; great goodness of heart, an instance of hard-heartedness ; the downfall of Prussia in 1806, its uprising in 1813 ; Germany's political unity since 1870-1871, its i)revious distracted condition ; the cradle, the grave, etc.^ Tiiis was an important beginning in the illumination of sueli an obscure held as that of the movement of ideas, and redounds to the honor of the great Stagirite. This perform- ance is all the more remarkable because in all sciences it is the first steps that are the most difficult; but still more Ijecause of the fact that psychological investigation during the succeeding two thousand years did not make any essen- tial ]»rogress in this regard. Those four laws of recollection are, as without doubt their > Wlio<'V<>r wislic's to get any real good out of these four laws for the aAHociatioii of iih-as must not omit to ohseive his own thoughts as they occur to liiin off and on, and see under which rule eacli separate case )H-len togetluT in cousciousness a longer or a shorter timo, — it is clear that in both cases the reason of repro- (Uu'tion must be sought in the common characteristic of luiving been together in consciousness. Accordingly, these two laws are to be understood only as one, which may be culled the law of slmiiltdneiti/. That which had previously misled into thinking that there were two laws proves to be merely a difference in the effect of one and the same cause, namely, the being in consciousness at the same time, — and in the main only a difference of degree, since the com- pletely simultaneous ideas are more strongly united than the half simultaneous. The other jiair (.".. and 4. laws p. 42) differ from the first pair in two ways. First of all, the matter of time does not come into consideration here at all, since the ideas need never have been together in consciousness. And in tlie second case, that which before was not considered — namely, the content of the ideas — is here the distinguish- ing characteristic ; for the expressions " similar " and '< con- tra-st^^-d " refer to the content of the ideas. Keeping this in mind, one cannot help wondering why in the one case the similarity, in the other case the dissimilarity, of mean- ing should cause reproduction. It was plain that there must be some mistake It was soon recognized that in tlie hitter case the earlier psychologists had allowed them- .selves to be deceived by outward appearance. A contrast between two objects presupposes their similarity in other respects. For between two entirely dissimilar or disparate ideas there can be no contrast, because, as we say, they can- not Ixj com] tared. Thus, for example, such ideas as have tlu'ir origin in different senses, as square and sweet, red and shrill, eU-. ; likewise, round and yellow (form and LATER VIEWS OF MEMORY. 45 color), although they come from the same sense. Since, then, in the tliird law it is plainly only the likeness that causes the reproduction, it might easily be guessed that also in the case of contrasted ideas it was their like char- acteristics that made one reproduce the other, and- that oidy after tliis liad so far taken place the contrasted char- acteristics attracted attention. This was proved to Ije true by the fact that ideas completely unlike never recall one anotlier, unless they have been in consciousness simultane- ously, in which case the law of simultaneity alone holds. From which it follows that the 3. and 4. laws are likewise to be regarded as one, which may be called the law of simi- larity. That which had previously misled into supposing tluit there were two laws, — namely, the consciousness of contrast, — proves to be merely a difference in the effect of one and the same cause, and really only an after-effect of tlie reproduction that has already taken place by reason of similarity. Thus a deeper examination has shown that the funda- mental laws for the manifold forms of reproduction are considerably simpler than was formerly believed. There are not four laws of memory, but only two ; that of siinultaneiti/, and that of slmUarltij. In the first a sub- jective factor decides, — namely, the previous presence of the ideas together in consciousness ; in the second, an objective factor, — namely, their similar content. These two laws, then, simple as they seem, are only symp- tomatic, and do not yet express tlie cause of reproduction. Modern psychology, physiological and experimental, has been fruitful in suggestions of solutions for this question. When we recall to niind an act we have done or a sensa- tion we have experienced, the similarity between this and 46 TiiorniTT and memory. the original doing or feeling is so great as to leave but little aoul»t that the same parts of the nervous system are con- cerned in the mental reproduction as in the previous physi- cal piwluetion. We know that every action leaves the parts of the body with a disposition to the same action again, thus making the second performance more easy. This fact lies at the foundation of habit, and it would seem the same fact is the basis of memory. Thus, then, we may conclude that the senses are not only necessary to receive impressions from the outside world, but are also necessary for their vivid reproduction in memory ; the muscles of the body are not only concerned in the movement of parts of our organism, but they also play a part in the remembrance of these actions afterward. The memory, therefore, has no seat in any particular part of the nervous system, but is everywhere. There are as many species of memory as there are species of represen- tiition. ^[ental work is also nerve and muscle work. This being so, we can easily appreciate the fact that the nervous discharge, when once started on a previously tnivelled tract, continues till it has roused all those cells to action wliich took part in the first process. Or, to put it more plainly, if one portion of a previous mental state returns to consciousness, the entire state, with all its ac- companiments, will naturally be recalled, provided only the nervous energy is sufficient. As Professor Lazarus of lierlin expresses it, "Every state of consciousness tends U) rejiroduce itself completely." That this law has its kifiis in the anatomical structure of the brain and nervous system, we can hardly doubt. This is evidently also only another statement of the foregoing law of simultaneity. For whatever ideas, feel- ASSOCIATION I5Y SIMILARITY. 47 ings, or volitions may be in llie luiiul at any one time fuse together into one state ; there is strictly only one complex idea in the mind at any one time. The very fact that two or more ideas, etc., are in the same moment in the same consciousness, unites all of these into one state. They are not separate ideas, feelings, etc., until they have been thought of lit sejyarate times ; i.e., in separate conscious- nesses. We have, therefore, in this one statement the cause both of our mental associations ayid of our viental abstrac- tions. We have next to explain the cause of associations by similarity. For the sake of clearness, I shall make use of a very simple concrete illustration. In the ma,rgin is a very meagre outline, say of a vase. Ask a shoemaker what it represents, and he will prob- ably, if pressed to say something, declare it is a shoe- sole. If you ask the same question of a biologist, he will probably say it represents a cell of a yeast plant, with a daughter cell budding off from it. Ask now a little girl, and she will say it is the head and body of a doll. A boatman Avill say it is the outline of some island he knows. An Indian recognizes it as a representation of a canoe paddle ; a cliejiiist sees in it a laboratory fask : a geo- meter sees two eUipses ; a German is reminded of nine- pins ; while a gymnast sees a suggestion of an Indian club. This might be continued indefinitely, but enough has been shown to illustrate the working of the law of similarity. That which remained constant in all of these associa- tions is the rougli outline on the paper ; but in each case it called up in mind a different complement of accessory ideas, thus completing for each of these observers a differ- ent previous mental state. It is evident that in thus 48 THOUGHT AND IVIEMORY. redintegrating previoxis states of consciousness the same process was taking place as Avas before described as asso- ciation by simultaneity. Let us take one step farther. The same person looking at the alxjve figure would no doubt be reminded of differ- ent objects (successively, just as we have supposed different [RM-sons to be). In other words, one of these objects would suggest the other throuyh the medium of the outline, which is coininon to both. Now, this illustrates very clearly, I take it, what occurs in the case of every instance of asso- ciation by similarity. Conscioiisness concentrates on cer- tain elements, — namely, on those through which the asso- ciation is made, and which are therefore common to both ideas ; tliereupon ])y the law of simultaneity the other parts of that second previous mental state are recalled. It is in this way that the mind passes from one complex idea to another by simply retaining those elements common to both, and then (1) drojjpinff out of consciousness the other elements of the first idea, and (2) redintegrating the second. Tlie process may be represented diagrammatically as in the tigure. The flow of consciousness is represented from left to right. The complex idea, containing elements rep- resented by V, a, and y, is now in mind. The attention is then concentrated on the one or more elements represented by a, which therefore simply persist in consciousness after X and y have dropped out. The elements a have, however, alreatly formed an integral part of a previous state of con- RELATION OF TflK TWO LAWS. 49 sciousness in wliich they wcro associated Avith w and ,•:;. They therefore now reproduce iv and n by the law of sim- ultaneity and the second complete idea results in conscious- ness. Thus we see the process of recollection by similarity re- duces to redintegration by simultaneity, and the latter is therefore stamped as the original law of association. The only way in which two ideas can be immediately associated is by their forming parts of the same mental state at some time. On the other hand, since two similar ideas are associated throufjh their common elements, we might call such association mediate, in contrast to the immediate association of two ideas by simultaneity. This use of terms, as well as the entire preceding explanation of asso- ciation, is of course very far from being Herbartian. Here, then, we have the two laws of memory in their very inmost nature and causal connection before us. Not- withstanding, however, their identity in origin, the two ways are, psychologically, essentially different in their influence on the development of the mental life. They are distinct ways of reproduction, and without the recognition of this fact the higher activities of thought are inexplicable. One individual never goes beyond outer connection ; his memory for facts appears marvellous ; we wonder <• how one small head can carry all he knows " ; his stories are filled with minutest unimportant details, apparently having no connec- tion but that they once happened in that order. Another person does not seem to know half so much, but brings every fact into its logical connection. When he tells a story, only such details as have relation to the main issue are brouglit in ; his memory makes no great show of power, but always seems to be readier in an emergency than the 60 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. other iiKin's. r>iit the greatest difference of all is, the latter uiulcrstmn/s things better than the former. "To the i)easaiit the falling apple redintegrates only spatial assoeiations of its pleasant taste ; to Sir Isaac Newton its resemblance to all falling bodies suggested the law of gravit^ition." The (lift'eronce in mental economy is shown by the rela- tive availability of a fact remembered by association with another fact in time or space; and, on the other hand, of a fact remembered by its relation of similarity with others. For future use the former is frequently as good as worth- less. It is bound up with other ideas with which it may never again need to be in connection. Except in those cases where the same processes or events are repeated over and over again, siich memory has practically no use. It serves us, to be sure, in remembering that the sun rose in the east and set in the west, yesterday, day before, and so on. It must even be admitted that it forms the basis of all memory, as we have shown above ; and it has truly immense importance for automatic action and all the mechanism of the mind. But it cannot be too emphatically reiterated that this sort of memory alone never can amount to anything. All mental power of thought, invention, im- agination, and character itself depends on the workings of the other law (of similarity). The connection of similarity is internal, and involved in the very nature of the ideas. With the formation of every new link of similarity the capacity of the mind is increased instead of becoming taxo«l. T'ut its greatest point of superiority is in the avail- ahUitij for (ill future use of ideas so associated. Wherever needed, there is just where they put in an appearance. They spontaneously group themselves in order, and prepare DISSOCIATION. 51 the way for all the higher activities of thinking. As we have before seen, this proeess of spontaneous grouping leads to conception, judgment, and reasoning. The birth of all new ideas, plans, inventions, discoveries of nature's laws, etc., are alone made possible by the association of ideas by similarity. All science, both of investigation and of formulation, consists of applications of it. It should be noticed that in the process of recollection, as just described, the first step consists in dissociation ; i.e., in separating certain elements from the rest of the first complex idea, which then drops out of consciousness. The power to do this requires practice, and is of the same nature as abstraction. This breaking up of the ideas into their elements, however, must take place in order to make the ideas mobile, and to dissolve their connection in time and place, and introduce them into new combinations with other ideas like themselves. Eeadiness of thought depends on this ability ; and both steps, disso- ciation and redintegration, need practice. In early child- hood the facts of the external world pour in through the senses, leaving no time to sort out and classify. The asso- ciation fibres that are probably necessary for the latter process do not get their medullary sheath and begin to function for a considerable time after birth. The founda- tion of all future greatness is, however, being laid in this great store of concrete material received through the senses and retained by sheer force of natural memory. Happy the child whose mind has been furnished thus abundantly. This is the raw material of school instruction that must be su})plemented where deficient, and worked over into the higher products of thought. The method of school-work should therefore form the transition from the one form to 52 TlIOUCllT AND MEMOKY. the Other ; from nu'inory by simultaneity to memory by similarity, from childish wouder to maturer thought and uuderstiUidiug. The (luostion of resolvin.^ the two laMS of memory into one prin- rii.l.' has m-oupied nearly all the psychologists of note. Durpfelcl, differing from the above views, follows llerbart in his metaphysics of the statics ami dynamics of ideas, and hence sees in the law of similarity the ground for the removal of the check from all the similar ideas which tlierefore rise in consciousness of themselves (1). UeiRnition is tlie assistance by which ideas which are not thus freed from check can be dragged into consciousness (2). This explana- tion of the two laws is concurred in by nearly all the Herbartian writers. The recent translation of lifer's Introduction to the Peda- goijy of Ihrhart contains the shortest unvarnished statement of these views in English (particularly pp. 12-14). See Herbart's PsJj- chiilo'j!/, pp. 11-10; Lindner's Psi/rholoyy, p. 81 ff. ^and two articles by (J. F. Stout in " Mind'" on " The Herbartian Psychology'''' (Nos. 51 and 52). For a good short account with criticism, see the chap- ters on Herbartian Psychology in Ribot's German Psychology of To-day, pp. 21-G7. Sjwncor seeks on another basis to reduce slnuiltaneity to simi- larity. To him the essential fact in association is fusion of similars in recognition. Coexistent ideas are similar in their time relation and hence associate. Principles of Psychology, i. p. 207 ff. f)n the other hand, Lazarus in Germany, and Sir William Hamil- ton an' clear and n-adalde. He adds that our general retentiveness is unchangcalile l)y any amount of training (i. p. 603 If.). On i. ]>. V.U lie gives an interesting "history of opinion concerning asso- < ; ition." For a similar Ijrief summary of opinions, see Bain, Mental Scienre, Appendix, pp. fll, 02; and Sully, Human Mind, ii., Appen- dix, pp. 3;50-.'542. Ladd ( Psychology, descriptive and explanatory, p. 27'>) says, "the influence of contiguity in consciousness is the «,./, disinvi I .),!.. i.'.ychological principle of association." Baldwin BIBLIOGllAl'IIY. 53 (Ilnndhonk of Psycholor/i/, Senses and Intellect, p. 201) fonnulates the priiiKuy law as follows: "Every association of mental states is an integration, due to the previous correlation of those states in apperception." But one has to read the context to see what all of this means. Kay {Memory, What it is and how to improce it, p. 278) agrees in recognizing contiguity as the one principle of all association, hut fails completely when he comes to explain it. John Stuart :Mill is of the opinion that the reduction of the two ways of association to one principle must be necessarily unsuccess- ful (James Mill's Analysis of the Ilnnian Mind, p. Ill, note 3.5 by J. S. ilill). IluCfdiiig (Outlines of Psychology, Yi. 1,58) recognizes this as the fact, but identifies the association between the parts and the whole as the typical form of all association, which he calls the law of totality. Sully (Outlines of Psychology, p. 2G7 ff.) describes the phenomena in very much the same way, although he does not undertake to formulate any general law. For an admirable historical account of the psychology of memory, see Dr. Wm. H. Burnham's articles in the American Journal of Psychology, vol. ii. A very complete bibliography of memory will be found at the close of these in vol. ii. pp. 014-G22. For ilissociation of ideas, see Dewey, Psychology, pp. 117-129. For the physiological basis of memory, see Spencer, Psychology, i. p. 270; and author's preface to Kay's Memory and pp. 29-4(3 and 92 ff. ; James, Psychology, i. p. G43 ff. is clear and readable as usual. Perhaps the most accessible and clearest explanation of recent theory of physical basis for the association of ideas is contained in Ziehen's Introduction to Physiological Psychology, chapter ix. See also Bain, The Senses and the Intellect, p. 338, for liis famous doctrine that " the renewed feeling occupies the very same parts, and in the very same manner, as the original feeling." B. Ok Thought. The term law is applied to thought in two senses: we speak on tlie one hand of psychological, and on the other hand of logical, laws of thought. In the first case the term law is used in the same sense as in all the natural sciencesj namely, to describe the actual, uniform, and invariable pro- 54 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. cesses of nature. Sucli laws allow of no exception. On the other hanil, the laws of logic, like those of grammar, aesthetics, ethics, music, poetry, etc., are rules laid down by Art to be followed in order to secure a right result. The laws of Science 7iiust be followed if there is to be any result at all. The rules of Art may be and often are dis- regarded, and this results only in mistakes. Since our investigation is a psychological one, we have to do only with the psychological laws. In order to simplify our problem, we must try to reduce the fourfold activity of tliouglit under one point of view. In the second cliapter above, the four forms of thought were reviewed : comparison, conception, judgment, and reason. It is usual to mention only the last three. The reason for this we shall see presently. I should like to ask such of my readers as have been to normal schools or have already privately studied a com- pendium of psychology, just to try whether they can them- selves reduce those four operations of thought under one head. This problem, belonging as it does to the theory of knowledge, which is the plainest and best-worked field in psychology, would indeed be very Avell adapted to show 1h)w much, or rather how little, good can come from com- pendiums. 1 shall attempt, however, first to make the problem plainer by a few separate questions. In what ndation, genetic or logical, do these processes of thought stJind to one another? Is one iireliminary to another; that is, does one prepare the way for another ? And if some- thing like this is found to be true of some, is it further true of all '' Do these four processes form a single genetic series, one arising out of another ? In a word, when riglitly understood, are there really four thought pro- GENETIC SEQUENCE OF THOUGHT-PROCESSES. 55 cesses, or three, or two, or only one? Even witli tliese suggestions the reiuU'r will probably not be able to answer, especially if he has studied his logic diligently. Tlie books on psychology, and especially the handbooks, leave their readers entirely too much in the lurch in this regard. They do not even present this problem, nor so much as call attention to the fact that there is such a ijroblon. Ihit worse still, they usually treat of three thought-processes iu the order in which they are treated in logic. Xow, logic is right in its treatment ; for, since it has to do merely with the forms of thought, not, however, with their origin, it pro- ceeds very correctly from the simple to the complex, and treats accordingly first of the concept, then of the judg- ment, and then of the syllogism. If the text-books in psychology choose the same order, it should be only as a preliminary treatment of each of these thought-processes by themselves. But if now they contain no further dis- cussion of the genetic connection between the different thought functions, so as to correct the false order previ- ously used, then not only is the chief topic in the theory of know^ledge left obscure, but if the reader tries now to work this problem out for himself, he will be misled by the i)re- vious confusion of treatment. My own presentation in the second chapter above nevertheless follows the order dictated by logic, but the reason for so doing was simply for the purpose of showing the reader the contrast between that want of order and the genetic sequence which I shall now present. For the sake of brevity I shall avoid the proper induc- tive form of presentation, and state at once the correct order of the thought-processes, leaving the proofs to fol- low in connection with examples. 56 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. In the first place, reasoning or inference drops out of tlie list of processes, on logical grounds, because, as Ave saw before, reasoning is only a peculiar kind of judgment : it is the derivation of a new judgment from two or more other judgments, and the conclusion is therefore sometimes called a derivetl judgment. Therefore, leaving reasoning out of the list, we have still three specifically different pro- cesses of thought. These three stand in a genetic relation to one another ; i.e., they arise one out of anotlier, but not in the confused sequence in Avhich logic treats them. There is really but a shi'jle thoiKjht-jn'occss, Avhich from its purpose may be caUed the formation of concepts ; but it runs through several acts, just as in a flower the bud, the blossom, and the ripe fruit follow each other. The three acts in the thought-process are conqjarison, judgment, and conception. Comparison is, for the present, to be counted as a sep- arate act preliminary to judgment, in order to avoid any obscurity, or uncertainty as to its place in the thought- process. But, in point of fact, comparison and judgment really form but one mental act, or, in other words, they are only two diiferent expressions for one and the same pro- cess, which in each case is regarded and named from a dif- ferent standpoint. The word comparison regards the begiiming of the process ; the word judgment, on the other hand, has reference to its end, denoting, as it does, the result of the comparison. Or, in other words, comparison represents the process from its objective side, pointing to the two or more objects in consciousness whose like or un- like characteristics are to be sought; judgment, on the contrary, shows the process from its subjective side, refer- ring to the peculiar form of idea produced. Now, in order THE TFIOUnilT-PIlOCKSS. 57 to have a single expression for this one mental process, we call it, from its result, by the name of judgment. In this psychological sense, to judge is, therefore, nothing more than to call up clearly in consciousness a distinct mental representation or idea of the object to be judged, together with those characteristics, wherein it is like or unlike another object. If the 'act of judgment is com- pleted, the formation of the concept follows of itself. But this latter is not to be confused with the verbal expression for the concept. Nor can the reader be too careful in dis- tinguishing the above use of the word "judgment" in the psychological sense from the usual definition of judgment as given in logic. Accordingly, we may say in conclu- sion : — There is oiil// a single tlunit/Jit-process, hut it takes place in two successive acts, namehj, judgmext and coxceptiox. In this statement we have the myriad forms of thought reduced to their greatest simplicity. Even popular usage in speech has long since expressed the fact that there is properly only one thought-process, and that it consists of the two acts, judgment and conception ; and further, that with the completion of judgment the conception was ready of itself, and that, conversely, no concept was possible with- out previous judgment. Each of the two expressions is used promiscuously in jtopular language for the whole pro- cess. For, when one wants to express the fact that another does not understand a certain matter, one may say either ''he has formed no jutlf/iiicvf in regard to it," or "he has no concejjtion of the matter," and they both mean the same. However welcome the foregoing general view of the process of thought may have been to the reader, such 58 THOUGHT AND aiEMORY. knowledge must still roiaaiu subject to all of those faults that are inseparable from instruction by abstract ideas wliioli do not rest on a concrete basis of careful observa- tion. It affords, at best, very incomplete satisfaction to have a broad, open field of view and yet not be able to see clearly and distinctly anything in it. There is, besides, much more that requires explanation, particularly in the relation between the two parts of the thought-process. With the help of the concrete examples let us now attempt this further work. For the correct understanding of the following examples, it is necessary that the two directions of thought be first properly understood. In comparison or judgment we may, of course, look for either similarities or dissimilarities in the object compared. Just according as we look for the one or the other, will the result be a different kind of con- cept. For instance, if the characteristics common to a right-angled, an acute-angled, and an obtuse-angled triangle are combined, the concept " triangle " is formed, which in respect to the three ideas above (so far as these are them- selves concepts), is called a superordinate or generic con- cept. If, however, this concept were already formed, and in a new comparison of those three figures the dissimilar characteristics are seized upon (which process we call dis- tinguishing them), there result finally the three differing i(le;is : right-angled, acute-angled, and obtuse-angled tri- angle. These, in respect to the concept "triangle," are called sul)ordinate or species concepts. This shows us that thouglit can move in two different directions ; in one way it f)rocoeds to ever wider, more general, and higher con- cepts ; in tlie other way, it reaches ever narrower, more special, and lower concepts. In the one case, broad views FIRST EXAMPLE. 69 open up to us ; in the other, we iind exercise for our dis- crimination. It is well when one head can combine both abilities — far-sight and acuteness. The following examples are mostly those of involuntary or spontaneous conception, because when concepts are in- tentionally formed the process is of itself somewhat more transparent. The cpiestion therefore arises, what is it that determines whether the spontaneous process shall take the one or the other direction. When the process is voluntary, the will determines by choosing the one or the other ; but if it is spontaneous, the determination must come from some other source. This source is in the objects them- selves. For, if the objects to be compared show more similar characteristics and seem so much alike that the difference appears unimportant, and therefore not worth considering, thought will proceed to the superordinate con- cept. If, on the contrary, the dissimilar characteristics exceed, or if one in particular succeeds in attracting special attention, then, although the likeness will be noticed, still the process Avill lead to the subordinate concepts. Thus ■we see that nature has, even in the spontaneous process, already provided for both directions of thought. First Example (in the direction of superordinate con- cepts). The reader has only to call to mind what was said above in the second chapter on the origin of the concept "mountain" in early childhood. If tlie child has already once seen such an elevation, and then afterwards sees an- other, the concejtt '•' mountain " is in its inception forth- with present. Although a general idea has thus worked itself out of the two concrete ideas, the child has not been conscious of this inner process, and yet if, when he saw the first elevation, he was told that it was a mountain, he 60 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. would at the sight of the second undoubtedly exclaim: '• That is a mountain, too." "We may well be surprised at the fact that here the judgment already contains the word (mountain) expressing the concept. This certainly looks as if the judgment did ]iot take place before conception, but rather as if judgment and concept were hoxn si multaneoxisly. liut, if this is so, how could we claim before that judgment was a preliminary process to conception ? And if it is not so, our concrete example seems to have brought us only further into the fog of imcertainty. But the reader will probably conclude, and rightly too, that the example was nevt-rtheless purposely chosen. The purpose Avas to call attention to an important peculiarity in the spontaneous formation of superordinate concepts, a peculiarity which is usually not even alluded to in the text-books. This example by itself, however, will not give us any full ex- planation. "\\'e must therefore first take an example from the other direction of thought, in which judgment and concept appear strictly separate. After we have rightly comprehended tlie relation in the latter case, we shall be able to clear up the doubtful points in the lirst example, and find out the important peculiarity Avhich it teaches in regai-d to tlie formation of superordinate concepts. Second Exumple (in the direction of subordinate con- cepts). Supitose a child has repeatedly seen yellow wood- sorrel (oxalis stricta). Of course there are different kinds of wood-sorrel, but we will suppose that he has not yet noticed their differences. Since, however, he has seen various specimens of yellow wood-sorrel, his mind has fonned from these concrete ideas (percepts) likewise the abstraut is there not also a new concept — the species concept " violet wood- sorrel " ? That there is no such concept in the judgment is shown by the fact that the new idea appearing in the predicate is nothing more than a characteristic (violet). But, it may be asked, does not the species concept " violet wood-sorrel " come into existence along with this new characteristic ? For the present it does not ; for the single specimen of this species that the child has seen can only give rise to the concrete idea or perception " violet wood- sorrel." In order for an abstract idea to be produced (in this case, the spontaneous species concept " violet wood- sorrel "), it woiild 1)0 necessary that several specimens of this species should first be seen.^ The relation between the act of judgment and the for- mation of the concept will now probably be somewhat clearer to the reader. The judgment indicates as the re- sult of comparison nothing new more than a new charac- teristic, but not yet the species concept, to which this characteristic belongs. It prepares the way, to be sure, for this concept, since it furnishes the new material (the 1 Of course it is not necessary that several different specimens should be presented to the senses, but only that several different percepts or mental i)rosontations, whether obtained from one or from more than one object, should have taken part in the formation of the concept 62 THOUGHT AND MEMOKY. characteristic) for it ; but the judgment as such knows nothing of the concept itself. It is clear, therefore, that here, in the formation of subordinate concepts, the judg- ment certainly comes previously to the concept — not simultaneously, as seemed to be the case in superordinate concepts. It is, furthermore, important to notice that, as was just pointed out, the judgment prepares the way for the species i-oncept ; for, just as soon as the newly noticed difference " violet " has been distinctly apprehended, or, in other words, as soon as this new characteristic appears in consciousness in the form peculiar to the judgment, the concept wood- sorrel which was already present becomes unsettled. AVhy ? It previously contained the characteristic " yellow," since this characteristic had occurred in all the specimens pre- viously seen, and was therefore counted in with the common characteristics. But now, after a violet wood-sorrel has come to view, it is seen that this characteristic " yellow " does not belong to the common characteristics of this genus. What result has this on the old concept ? First of all, that the concept " wood-sorrel " loses the characteristic (yellow) that did not belong to it, and becomes in so far purified and more complete. And secondly, that beside this earlier concept (wood-sorrel) on the one hand, the ready formed subordinate concept " yellow wood-sorrel " arises ; and, on the other hand, the way is prepared for a second subordinate concept "violet wood-sorrel," co-ordinate with the other.' ' The way is prepared for the second concept but it is not yet formed. This must he distinctly noticed ; for tlift judgment as such never helps in the formation r»f concepts at all in any other way, since it does nothing eUc than (urnisli characteristics. This is just as true of the formation of RELATION OF JUDGMENT TO CONCEPTION. 63 The second example has therefore shown us, lirst tliat the judgiaent always comes before the concept, and cannot come otherwise ; secondly, that the act of judgment, when it relates to a dissimilar characteristic, has the effect of clarifying the old concept and splitting it into two sub- concepts, thus making it a genus concept. We can now return to our first example and clear up the doubts that surrounded it. Why was it that in this first example judgment and conception appeared simultaneous ? If in comparison, as we know, the mind is concerned only with like or unlike cliaracteristics, and if the mental act of higher as of lower concepts. In the present case, in the judgment, " this wood-sorrel is violet," there is another circunistance that will serve to show very plainly how strictly separate the act of judgment is from the act of conception. For here the cliaracteristic "violet" appears as a point of dissimilarity in contrast to " yellow; '" but a con- cept, on the other hand, is always concerned with common or like char- acteristics only. From this it follows that the judgment alone could never give rise to the concept "violet wood-sorrel," hut that, as before said, several specimens of violet wood-sorrel must first he seen. Only after these have been com]>arcd can the characteristic "violet" be recog- nized as common. Tiie new judgment, "all these wood-sorrels are vio- let," will now lead to the sub-concept "violet wood-sorrel." The earlier judgment in which " violet " was an unlike characteristic, has, there- fore, strictly speaking, not directly prepared the way for this sub-concept, but only indirectly, ami therefore not so much prejiared the way for it as merely served as an incentive to its formation. The other sub-concept (yellow wood-sorrel) did not need any new judgment, since it was already contained in the old concept " wood-sorrel." This old concept experi- enced a change in its content, in losing one of its characteristics; its pre- vious content, on the coutrai-y, then became the S])ecies concept. This illustrates veiy nicely that mutual influence between new and old ideas, which is so characteristic of all apperception. One thing more should be noticed here. Since a concept, whether higher or lower, is in comparison with the ideas which it embraces in its content, in the relation of superiority to these, it follows, therefore, that- in the act of conception as such the movement of thought is always up- ward. The two movements of thought spoken of in the text are there- fore found in juilgmeut (comparisou) ouly. 64 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. judgment is nothing more tlian a mental representation of the result of comparison, then it follows that the predicate of a mental judgment must relate to characteristics only, whether like or unlike. If, on the contrary, conception consists of seizing together in the grasp of a single idea the similar charac^teristics, then it must be plain that judg- ment and conception are two entirely distinct acts. If, then, in our lirst example this distinction did not clearly appear, it was owing to one or both of the following causes — ■ either to a peculiarity in the spontaneous formation of genus concepts, or to the interference of language. In order to have a concrete instance in mind, let us re- turn to the example (mountain) given above. Here the characteristics which the objects compared with one an- other had in common, are several in number, as is also the case in most instances of such concepts. A child will never be able at the first sight to notice distinctly all of these characteristics separately ; even an adult would not succeed in a single rapid glance. Now, just as the child has formed only a general perception of each of the two objects, so also of the characteristics in which they are alike. He perhaps has the general impression that the two objects are similar, i.e., have much in common, but he cannot give an account of the characteristics which compose this simi- larity. Suppose, however, for the sake of argument, that a child really had apprehended distinctly all the common characteristics, or at least some of them; still, he would scarcely have at command the necessary expressions to denote each of these characteristics precisely. But even sujjposing he had, the child would have no incentive to express these common characteristics in a series of separate judgments. What concerns him is simply to make known children's use of words. 65 the generitl iinprrssion lliat the two objects are similar. For this purpose the easiest means tliat offers is the name of the elevation first seen — the word " mountain," whicli when first heard liad for the child the meaning of a proper name. This shows us clearly whence it comes that the expressed judgment, "that (thing) is a mountain," already contains the concept word. The expression, mountain, which the child uses in the predicate is, for him, not a concept word, but a mere name, the name of the elevation first seen. He means to denote by it the characteristics he has noticed (in this case those that were common to both). Since, however, only the total impression was noticed, or in case any one of the characteristics was distinctly noticed, the particular expression for it was wanting, he therefore chooses the name of the object previously seen, as much as to say : tlie characteristics which he has now in mind here, are just the same as he had before seen there : or, in other words, since the two objects have so much in com- mon (judgment), they deserve the same name (concept). If the meaning of the child's expression is so understood, we see plainly the relation between the act of judgment and the formation of the concept, although in the actually spoken judgment both acts were mingled. The child's manner of expression accords with his incomplete appre- hension and*his poverty of language. For, because the mental act of judgment is not correctly completed, and because, moreover, the correct expression is wanting, while the idea is, nevertheless, struggling for utterance ; the gen- uine judgment form which ought to give the separate characteristics is, as it were, skipped, and that forin is chosen which the judgment has when it conies after the 66 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. concept has been foiineil, and when it therefore is intended to name, not the separate characteristics, but the concept itself. This is probabl}- the correct view with reference to nearly all those charming instances of childish '' exten- sion of meaning" in common words, which are frequently given as proof of the child's power of abstraction and con- ception. One little girl, born in the South, saw snow for tlie first time on a visit I^orth, and said it was "raining soapsuds." Another called the crackling of the kitchen fire, '' barking." A little boy, not yet old enough to pro- nounce distinctly, called dipping bread into gravy giving it a bath (<'ba'"). Baby J used the word ''bo" to mean anything that pleased him. Darwin's little boy, at twelve months, invented the word '•' mum," which he used for food of all kinds. There is no proper abstraction in any of these cases. A child of one or two years old uses words by analogy, as was explained above, but does not h;ive general concepts with any definite content. Adults, moreover, do not do a particle better than the child in the spontaneous formation of genus concepts. When they pass a judgment merely on the basis of a hasty comparison, without, therefore, distinctly apprehending the se]jarate common characteristics, they understand very well how to cover up this deficiency. They pass by the genuine form of judgment and employ, instead, the expres- sion which contains the ready formed concept, and perhaps, besides, use a very (jcneral expression for this concept. And tliis phrase must pass current for a genuine judgment, and the general expression must serve as an adequate con- cept. Sometimes such a word serves the purpose for which it was uttered — just as light money passes for full value until its deficiency is recognized. TO THINK IS TO FOKM CONCEPTS. 67 Thus wo liave shown that likewise, in the case of super- ordinato concepts, there results fry far the greater part of llie processes of thought, but arc further of special importance, inasmuch as through them the store of ideas already collected is con- tinually being applied to the production of new thoughts ; without them the older supply of ideas would remain as dead capital for the mind. In order now to discover the natural cause that leads the mind to form judgments, we shall have to exclude from our consideration all cases of voluntary thought, since here the will too much overshadows the other natural cause for us to observe. And so far as involuntary or spontaneous thinking is concerned, it will again occur to the reader that here the act of judgment is skipped, as it were, i.e., does not show plainly, thus resulting in concepts which are likewise incomplete. Hence it would appear that the very process which we wish to observe is so obscured that our investigation seems to be brought again to a standstill. But Ave should recollect that those judgments which lead immediately to conception, relate exclusively to the like characteristics. Even if this half of the field is cut off from our view, there still remains for observation all the other half, consisting of those judgments which relate to tinlike characteristics. These were already referred to above as giving the downward direction to thought, towards subordinate concepts. One point is already clear to start with. Keeping in mind that a judgment is nothing but a peculiar kind of mental presentation, and, further, that the usual mental presentation can take place without leading to outward expression in language, we notice that there are two parts to be distinguished in the act of judgment. In the first place the apprehension of the characteristics in question, 74 THOUGHT AKD MEMORY. whereby the ordinary form of mental presentation results ; and, secondly, a certain additional factor that changes the ordinary mental presentation into the judgmental form. It is this second factor, then, that is properly the cause of the act of judgment, and is therefore the element that we are seeking. The following examples will show us wherein it consists. First example: A child sees a white sheep, and at the same time, alongside of it, a piece of black coal. Second example: The child sees a white sheep, and at the same time, alongside of it, a black one (supposing he lias not seen sheep before at all). 'I'lie examples are evidently so chosen that the very same two unlike characteristics (white and black) occur in both cases. The question is now : What sort of a mental state will these unlike characteristics call forth in each case ? "Will they give rise to a judgment or not ? In the first example, what arise first in the mind of a' cliild are the total perceptions of the two objects. There is certainly no doubt that the color characteristic Avill not be wanting in either one of the perceptions, since color, as is Avell known, l^elongs to the characteristics that seldom escape attention. We will, therefore, assume that the color characteristic has been apprehended along with the rest in each object, resulting in at least an ordinary idea. Will now this ordinary idea produce a judgment ? At first view one might think that since these characteristics are in contrast, and their difference is so great tliat it could not be greater, they would strike the child as something notice- able, and so lead to the formation of a judgment. Never- tlicless, 1 claim that the act of judgment will not follow, — wliicli is as mucli as to say, that, in spite of the contrast, A child's SrONTANEOUS -JUDGMENTS. 75 tlie uttention is not siillicioutly aroused, and tlic, apprehen- sion has not been sufficifnlly lively, to make tJie ml ad feel the need of (j'triiKj rent to itself hi a jiuhjment. Of course it would not l)e absolutely impossible in the case of an adult, although even here probably no judgment would arise ; but in the case of a child in whose mind those two ideas meet for the first time, it is practically impossible. The two objects, sheep and coal, are so different in kind that they have nothing in common in respect to most of their characteristics ; they are, therefore, aside from the single characteristic of color, incapable of comparison (dis- parate). Although there are two oljjects, they do not make a ^^a/r. The two ideas lie side by side in the mind, but, since their main elements have no relation to each other, they remain thorough strangers. They do not rouse each other, they produce no movement of thought, but remain indifferent, as if they did not concern each other at all. To be sure, the two unlike color ideas, being capable of comparison, could in themselves serve as a stimulus to each other, and particularly so since they are in contrast ; but, compared with the excess of indifferent elements, this single stimulus is too weak to cause any result. If, then, in such a case, where the contrast is so great, no judgment re- sults, there is still less cause when the difference is smaller. Turning now to the second example, we find as before first of all the two total perceptions. But the rest of the mental process will be essentially different when com- pared with the first example. The two objects are so very much alike that they have all characteristics in common with the single exception of color. Accordingly, the two total perceptions do not remain as strangers, indifferent to each other, in stolid repose, but engage at once in inter- 76 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. course as near relatives. Hereupon the law of conception begins to operate, and the similar elements coalesce in pairs. This movement of the like characteristics communi- cates itself to those that are unlike ; they also approach each other, as it were, and feel the stimulus of rivalry to comjxire their content. In so far it looks as if the atten- tion would be almost forcibly directed to the difference of those characteristics, and, therefore, that a judgment would now really result, and yet it is highly probable that such will not be the case. For the very same favorable circum- stani-e that brought the two unlike characteristics together and stimulated comparison, viz., the commencement of con- ception, contains likewise a hindrance to comparison and therefore to judgment also; for, while according to the law of conception the common characteristics are coa- lescing, and therefore strengthening, the effect on the unlike characteristics is, as we know, to crowd them back in the same measure, to make them obscure, and therefore withdraw them from the atte?ition. The advantage afforded the act of judgment by the process of conception thus seems to be lost. This case Avhich at the beginning seemed to be so favorable will, therefore, as a rule, not lead to any conscious comparison of the unlike characteristics and tlierefore to no formal judgment. If one changes the example before us so that instead of two present percep- tions only one is of this kind, and the other a past per- ception, and therefore now a reproduced idea, it is easy to see that, so far as the act of judgment is concerned, the change is not essential. We shall, therefore, not consider this ca-se any farther, but shall proceed to a new example, in which, on the contrary, the act of judgment appears in full for.-.'. DISAPPOINTED EXPECTATION. 77 Third example : Suppose the cliikl lias seen a white sheep not only once but repeatedly, so that the spontaneous concept "sheep" is already formed — so far as is possible from such observations. AVhat will take place now in his mind when he one day happens to see a black sheep ? Compared with the forej^'oing example we shall notice two points of difference, both of which are owing to the fact that the mind possesses an already formed concept, whi(di is now recalled in consciousness. Althout,di again an act of conception takes i)lace, still it is only the application of an already furmed concept and therefore proceeds easily and quickly, thus not occupying the attention so strongly as at first. While, therefore, on the one hand, the incen- tive to comparison of the unlike characteristics remains in full force, the accompanying hindrance, on the other hand, is weakened. This is the first advantageous change. The second point of advantage is as follows. Since all the sheep yet seen were white, and this characteristic was firmly impressed by the repetition, and even received into the con- cept as part of its content, the mind expects to find the characteristic " white," again, in case such an animal comes again to view. If now a black sheep appears, this expec- tation is disappointed. TJiis feeling of disappointed ex- 2Jectatio7i directs the attention with all its force to the unlike characteristic, draws the idea forward again more strongly into consciousness, and then gives vent to the judgment, " This sheep is black." To sum up the results of our discussion thus far, we see that in the first example the apprehension of the unlike characteristics was not yet of itself sufficient to call forth a judgment, even when the difference amounted to contrast. What is further necessary is a stimulus to comparison ; for 78 THOrcHT AXD MEMORY. foinparison is the cliaraeteristic act which begins the thoui,'h(-i)rocCbS, or the decisive point of transition from an ordinary idea into a tliought.^ Only similar ideas afford material and opportunity for comparison ; therefore, in the first example, since the objects were too disparate, no com- parison was i)ossible. The act of comparison begins uni- formly with the like characteristics ; because the impulse to comparison has its origin in the law of conception, wliereby the similar elements coalesce, and this impulse begins to operate at once, as soon as the two ideas come together. The comparison of the unlike characteristics, on the contrary, does not begin iintil the process of conception lias been concluded, because the latter process obscures the 1 A now light is here shed on the important idea of comparison. It will be rc'Mieinbi'red that at the beginning of tliis section comparison was expressly counted as one of the acts of tliought. Comparison is really the act out of which all the other acts of thought grow, just as the bud develops into the flower and fruit. First of all, judgment — on the one hand, of like, on the other hand, of unlike characteristics; hereupon fol- lows conception — on the one hand (on the basis of the like characteris- tics), rising to higher concepts, on the tlie otlior hand (on the basis of the unlike charartcristics), descending to subordinate concepts. In the form of a table these chief points iu the thought-i)rocess may be represented as follows : — Superordlnate Concepts / Conception rising to like characteristics Compafison gives rise to J -< unlike characteristics \ Distinction of Concepts descending to\ Subordinate Concepts. 'IIIK PKKVIOUS EXPECTATION. rJ difforoiifcs ami withdraws tlic atlciiiioii I'ldin them. As au offset to this hhulraiu'e a new incentive to comparison is found in tlie above mentioned feeling of disappointed expectation. lUit this feeling is not itself the primal cause of judgments in case of unlike characteristics ; for this feeling is a derived condition and points to a still earlier cause. There must evidently have lieen a j^f&vioiis expecta- tion based on an eai'lier act of conception. This concept, on the one hand, when it appears as a reproduced idea in a new application, and the unexpected new perception, on the other hand, give rise to the feeling of disappointment. The primary cause of judgments in the case of unlike characteristics is, accordingly, to be found in the law of conception whereby like characteristics coalesce. It must, moreover, not be overlooked that the other factor of con- ception, the law of rei^roduction by similarity, is also at work here. A few pages back (p. 73) we passed by the judgments formed in the case of like characteristics, because there the act of judgment was not easily recognized. iS"ow it is not to be supposed that the act of judgment is really skipped, although this form of expression was before used. As a matter of fact, a judgment does really take place, but surreptitiously ; because a concept can only be present when it has some content, and this latter can only consist of those characteristics which are recognized as common, even though they are not distinguished separately and precisely. The primary cause of judgment in the case of unlike as Avell as in the case of like characteristics, is therefore one and the same, namely, the law of conception. The only difference is, that in the case of like characteristics this law serves as the only and immediate stimulus to judg- 80 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. meut, whereas, in the case of unlike characteristics, it first gives rise to that feeling of disappointed expectation, and thus operates through this intermediate factor. There are three recognized forms of judgments, — affirm- ative, negative, and double, i.e., affirmative and negative. It will certainly not be uninteresting to the reader, if, in conclusion, we speak briefly of the psychological basis of this threefold form, even though this does not properly belong to our siibjeet. Negative judgments relate to characteristics that are missed, i.e., to such as are wanting, whereas previous ex- perience has taught one to expect them. If, for example, at a season of the year when trees are usually covered with foliage, one comes across a tree without leaves, this natu- rally attracts attention and leads to the judgment, '' this tree is not covered with foliage." Or, if one meets a man who has lost both his arms, one says, " this man has no arms." The negative judgment thus points out a vacancy or omission. Both of the other forms relate to characteris- tics that are not expected. Two cases are possible. The new characteristic may either supply an omission in one's previous knowledge, and therefore be compatible with it, or it may take the place of an expected characteristic, and in this case be incompatible with one's expectations. As an example of the first case, suppose a person does not know how many styles there are in the apple blossom, although he is otherwise well acquainted with this blossom. If his attention is called to it and he finds that there are five, this characteristic simply completes his previous knowledge, and does not conflict with any other character- istic. Tliere results, accordingly, the simple affirmative judgment, " the apple blossom has five styles." As an example of the second case, let us suppose a child as yet has seen only white sheep, but now comes across a black one. The new mark of color conflicts with the old. liut to express this resulting state of mind, a simple affirmative statement is not enough; for both the new characteristic and likewise its incouipcitihUlti/ Avith the old must find vent. Hence arises the form, ''this sheep is not white, but black." Thus the affirmative judgment relates to an unexpected, but compatible characteristic ; the double judg- ment, on the contrary, to an unexpected, but incompatible characteristic. Our investigation into the laws of thought is finished, and we have found that the two principal acts which suc- ceed each other in the thought-process, namely, judgment and conception, however different from each other they may be, still are based on one and the same fundamental law : the coalescence of the similar elements contained in the two ideas. Only in the case of judgments of unlike characteristics, there is a secondary and additional cause : the feeling of disappointed expectation. How simple the causes appear in this field of thought, where at first the processes seemed so varied and complex ! The laws of thought, as well as the laws of memory, have thus passed in review before ns. Let us now briefly compare the two results, in order to make definite the rela- tion between these two mental activities. In the case of thought we have here to do only with its 82 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. primary or I'hief liu'tor, and therefore with but a single law ; which is as follows : — ThoiKjId (li'peiids on the coalescence of the similar ele- vxents of ideas ; or, in other words, it is the similarity of ideas that determines thought. l^he menionj is controlled by two laws, either — 1. /)// the SIMILARITY of ideas, or L'. /.'// their SIMLLTAXKITY. If now we compare thought and memory with respect to tlu^se factors that underlie their processes, we see that both mental activities have one factor, namely, the similarity of ideas, in common. In the one case this common factor causes a production of new material through the process of abstraction and conception ; in the other case, on the con- trary, it results in a reproduction of tlie old. We may formulate this fact briefly as follows : — Tin; LAW OF THOUGHT IS LIKEWISE ONE OF THE TWO LAWS OF MEMORY. It will, undoubtedly, have occurred to the reader already, that this psychological trutli must be of most immense im- ])ortance in the work of teaching and education. This will show itself still more exactly if we examine the relation between thought and memory to see in how far these two mental activities re-enforce and serve each other. In what way does memory act as the servant of thought ? This question has already been answered in the second chapter. The memory is, together with the activity of j>('r<-eption, the furnisher of the material of thought. But in tliis service it makes_ a very great difference whether the material is furnished according to the one or the other IMAGINATION. 83 law of ineniory. By tho first law of memory similar ideas are sup})lieil, and therefore a material wliieh immediately, without further selection, may be turned to account in thought. IJy the second law, in so far as it alone controls, the memory furnishes, on the contrary, only material that is not immediately usable in thought. How important this difference is in the work of teaching will be more fully dis- cussed in the following chapter. Keversing the question, we may now ask. How does thought re-enforce memory ? The narrow worslii[)i)ers of memory may well wonder at this question, particularly since many of them think that the early training of thought is a hindrance to memory. We shall have to leave them in their wonderment for the present ; but since, as Plato says, wonder is the mother of philosophy, this astonishment may have the good result of teaching one to think more favorably of thought — even from the standpoint of the narrow partisan of memory. The foregoing question is answered by the important fact above established. If the law of thought is also one of the two laws of memory, it follows that the icork of thlnhing viust at the same thne accomplish a considerable part of the work of memory. This volunteer service of thought to memory may be of twofold character. On the one hand, wherever thought takes place, its help to the memory is spontaneous and unsolicited ; on the other hand, in in- struction it may be employed intentionally as a means of memory. This point will likewise receive further consid- eration in the following chapter. At the close of some of the foregoing sections we have taken advantage of the opportunity offered to clear up our 84 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. ideas of certain psychological plienomena, which, though not belonging strictly to our theme, stand in close relation to it. In this way have been treated the sensations, the rise of perceptions out of sensations, and of complex ideas out of simple ones. The present seems to be the pro^jer place for some remarks on the phantasy, or imagination. For, since the imagination has something in common with memory on the one hand, and with thought on the other hand, opportunity is here afforded to define more sharply the meaning of memory and of thought in this respect. We first may ask wherein tlie peculiarity of imagination consists. New sense ideas are not furnished by the imagi- nation, but only by the senses; nor does it furnish new abstract ideas, for this is the Avork of the understanding alone. Tlie imagination, therefore, operates with the store of ideas already at hand, and is, hence, nothing but a pecul- iar kind of reproduction of ideas. In ordinary recollection, the ideas come back into consciousness in just the form in which they were originally apprehended ; in the case of imagination, on the contrary, the ideas are rearranged, wherefore we may speak of the activity of imagination as a modified reproduction. But now, since the simple or elementary ideas are in their nature unchangeable, it fol- lows tliat this modification and rearrangement can relate only to tlie composition and sequence of the complex ideas. Tliis modification of a complex idea may take place in three ways. This is as true of the intentional as of the iniintentional use of the imagination ; but, us the reader knows, we always have uppermost in mind the involuntary and spontaneous processes. The first modification consists in leaving out single ele- ments in the reproduced group of ideas, — as when, for IDEALIZATION AND ITS OPPOSITE. 85 instance, anyone tries to recall the face of an absent ac- quaintance, but finds that he does not succeed completely, because single features have dropped out of his memory. This is plainly only an instance of inexact, unfaithful rec- ollection. Kevertlioless, it may happen that a complex idea so changed will thus receive a character noticeably different from the original, and therefore produce a dif- ferent effect. For, if in such a case the lost elements happen not to be beautiful, the remainder will appear more beautiful, and therefore this modification will be in its effect what we call idealization. Take an example from every-day experience. If one imagines one's self in a situa- tion long since passed, for instance in one's childhood, that period, with its events, conditions, and persons, as a rule, will appear to him in a more beautiful light than it did at the time when he actually lived through it. The ideas of the manifold disagreeable inconveniences, which were not wanting in tluit early time, are now partly forgotten ; moreover, the feelings connected Avith those ideas which are not forgotten, have weakened more or less ; since a pain, after it is overcome, no longer hurts as it did when it was actually felt. Kow, this must naturally result in the remaining features of this picture assuming a more friendly character. Thus the recollection has been invol- untarily and unwittingly idealized. On the contrar}-, dis- trust, envy, hate, in short, all sorts of ill-nature may so work upon the recollection that, in the picture left in mem- ory of tlie events, conditions, and persons in question, the gentler and kindlier features disappear, thus resulting in a disfigurement of memory, the exact opposite of idealiza^ tion. AVhat we have been considering in all these cases is, as the reader sees, in its genesis and its nature, nothing 86 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. more than an Inexact rccoUcetion; but still, in order to indi- cate that tliis cliange has given a noticeably different char- acter to the ideas, such modifying reproduction is said to be imaginative. The justification for this particular name is more plainly to be seen, when one remembers that this modification may also take place purposely. This first mode of the modifying reproduction, in Avhich the change consists in the omission of certain elements, is called the select 'mg imagin at ion} Secondly, the work of imagination may consist in adding new elements to the complex idea, thus reversing the fore- going mode. It is an instance of intentional imagination of this kind, when, for instance, an artist, in order to rep- resent an angel, imagines wings on the human form. But, even in daily experience, we find it occurs unintentionally likewise. Thus, for instance, when anyone hears or reads an account of an event and wants to get a very clear pic- ture of the occurrence, he will picture it to himself, with all details. For, since language uses only general terms, the hearer must make these more or less concrete by filling out the further characteristics, — thus, for example, he must think of the persons mentioned as of a definite stature and size, in a particular dress, circumstances, etc. Because the reproduced idea is here further filled out and therel)y more exactly determined, this second kind is called the determining imagination. 1 This process of abstraction in tlie field of phantasy must not be con- fused with tliat which takes place in the process of thinking. In the first case, tlie abstraction takes place on a single complex idea; in the seconr] case, on the contrary, after a comparison of at least two. If, in the former, tl>e given complex idea was concrete, the result of abstrac- tion remains likewise a concrete idea; in the latter, on the other hand, the result is always an abstract idea or concept. FltEEI)0:sr OF TIIK IMArjINATIOX. 87 Only seldom will this second kind of modified reproduc- tion occur iiloiir; both modes are usually united, particu- larly when the imagination has much play — for example, involuntarily in dreams, or voluntarily in art productions. This is, then, the third kind, and is called the combininfj imagination. The phantasy is usually thought of as completely free and unbound by law. If this is not a comjjlete error, one must at least define the word freedom and explain in how far the phantasy is unbound, that is, in what respect it is free, and furthermore in what respects it never can be free. The involuntary imagination is free in no respect, but is bound just as much by natural laws as are the processes of physical nature. First, it is bound by the store of ideas already at hand, as a general preliminary condition ; for a man blind from birth cannot imagine color, nor a deaf man imagine sound. Secondly, being a reproduction, it is bound by the two laws of reproduction of ideas (simultaneity and similarity) ; for there is no third way in which one idea can recall another into consciousness. Thirdly, it depends on how the older ideas were gained, on the relation in which they stand to one another, and in general on their ease of reproduction ; for whatever here is well or badly done or left undone is sure to show itself in the reproduc- tion, either as retentiveness or forgetfulness. These are the rules by which the phantasy is bound. The apparent lawlessness of its productions is only seemingly so. How- ever singular, for example, the images of a dream may look, and however singularly they may succeed each other, they have, nevertheless, come into consciousness exactly as under the circumstances they had to come. The voluntary imagination is likewise bound by the bS THOUGHT AND MEMORY. above named tliree kinds of conditions. But, since the will comes in as a new factor here, the imagination receives thereby a freer scope in two respects. In tlie first place the will, according to its purpose, may direct the mind from step to step in a definite direction, or to a particular point, — all the time, however, dependent on those three conditions as to what ideas come into consciousness. Secondly, the will may now select and retain, according to its purpose, certain ones of those ideas which were actu- ally called up. There is no freedom for the imagination in any other sense. An important rule for the cultivation of the imagination follows from what has just been said. We must above all direct our attention to that on which the imagination as a species of reproduction natural] 3* de- pends. In other words, the (/reciter the j^ower of introduc- tion of the ideas the better. But the same advice applies to the cultivation of the intelligence in general, as we shall see in the following chapter. In its genesis, therefore, the imagination is to be distin- guished from the memory, since each is a species of repro- duction. On the other hand, it must not be confounded with the understanding, although both produce new ideas. The imagination has still many other interesting aspects. It is of great importance not only in artistic creation, but no less in the discoveries and inventions of science, and, besides, in many practical walks in life, for example, for the soldier, the judge, the teacher, etc. From all of which it follows that in the school its cultivation must not be neglected. But to discuss all of this would require a sepa- rate monograph. CHAITFJ; TV. APPLICATION TO PEDAGOGY. It remains to apply in pedagogical practice the entire results of our foregoing psychological investigation. Since this practical consideration appears in a psycholo- gical monograph only as a sort of appendix, it will natu- rally have to be restricted in many ways. In the first place, it will be restricted to the intellect only ; for if the feelings and the character were likewise to be considered; this would have had to be preceded by a psychological in- vestimtion into the activities of feeling and will. Beside this limitation of aim, there, is then, a second in respect of the two meanfi to be employed, thought and memory ; for their conjunction here means, that the one as well as the other activity is to be discussed only in so far as is neces- sary to make plain how they can and should work tofjether in the building up of knowledge. Inside of this narrow field we must, moreover, be satisfied with but a few in- structive examples from one or another of the subjects of study. To commit to memory means to make the ideas in ques- tion capable of reproduction and, as far as possible, of faithful, rapid, and many-sided reproduction. It is to be noticed here that the purpose of committing to- memory is not stated to be the retention of ideas, but rather the pover of reproiJurinti them ; for whether they are retained or not will show itself in whether they can bo reproduced or not. Ideas incapable of reproduction have no more mean 89 90 THOUGHT AND MEMOKY. ing than dead capital or possessions in tlie moon ; and, as long us they remain incapable of reproduction, so long are they — together with the pains spent in learning and com- mitting to memory — lost to the mind.^ If. now, thought results in a production of new ideas, and memory embraces the whole of the previously acquired ideas, thought and memory in their service to knowledge bear the same relation to each other as do earning and saving in daily life to the acquirement of a competency. In school instruction, therefore, both activities necessa- rily belong together, — as necessarily as in domestic life industry and economy, or, as in walking, one leg and the other, or, as in politics, the progressive and conservative parties. And if they helontj together, they must also hold together, as faithfully and inviolably as in the home and family man and wife do. First of all, we must find the places where the memory must render assistance to thought and to the learning of new ideas in general. For this purpose we must recall to mind the different stages or steps in the acquirement of new ideas. All knowledge in any subject must begin with the appre- hension of concrete material, or, as we usually say, with ohscn'dtitm (I.). With the perceptions so acquired as a basis, the second step in learning follows, namely, the production of abstract ideas or conception, in short, tlioufjht (II.). ' If the reader thinks tliis is too strong language^ lie may console liiinself with tho story of the cabin-boy, who came to the cajjtaiu one day and said pitoously : " Sir, is a thing lost when you know where it is ? " " You crazy fellow," cried tlie captain, " why, how can it then be lost?" " I am glad to liearyou say that," replied the boy; " I have just dropped your silver mug into the sea, while rinsing it." STEPS IN ACQUIUlXd KNOWLEDGK. 91 But in scliijol instruction ihis cannot be regarded as the completion ul the act of learning. In several different ways one is led to conclude that there must be a third part to the process. In the first place, the newly produced concept is, as a rule, still incomplete — in its extent as well as in its content. In its extent," because it has resulted from but a few, perhaps only two, observed examples, and therefore embraces but very few concrete ideas ; in its con- tent, because the characteristics of which it consists are seldom so sharply and distinctly apprehended as they ought to be. In the second place a concept developed from but few examples increases only the ability to knoxv, not the ability to do ; that is to say, since this thought-process has taken i)lace but once, it has not yet acquired readiness and skill in practice. And thirdly, outside of those ideas from whii'h the concept was accpiired. there may be still others in the mind belonging to this concept. If, now, the process of conception stops short with those fevv' exam})les, then all the rest of the related perceptions have lost the advantage of their association ; they renuiin as nothing more than raw nuxterial of intelligence, not yet having been changed into higher pr.oducts of knowledge to become in- struments of thought, or organs of apperception, as our friends the Herbartians would say. This shows us that intelligence resulting only from the above named two activities (observation and thought as a single act luire- peated), would be faulty in nuiu}" ways, and therefore something must be done to supply this lack. This third and concluding part of the process consists in the applica- tion of the ac(piired concept (III.). In school instruction this third step will usiuilly consist in presenting to the pupil a number of new concrete exam- 92 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. l)les one al'tor the otlier, for liiin to see ^vliether they like- wise beloiiiT i:iuUm- tlie new concept. What takes place in tlie mind of the pupil in this case is, in the main, evidently notliini,' else than the repeated production of the same con- cept. We are. nevertheless, justified in giving this mental process a special name. For, in the first place, new material is now used in the process. And secondly, the pupil must now proceed with the work of thhil-lnij hulependently of the tenrlii'i' ; besides, the task may be still further increased by re(piiring the pupil himself to hunt for new examples. Thirdly, thought proceeded the first time from the percepts to the concepts ; now the concept is ready to be applied to new j)erceptions. Therefore the difference between the first act of conception and this act of application is usually denoted by saying that in the former, the movement of thought is from the part icula)- to the general ; in the latter, on the contrary, from tlie (jcnerdl to tlie imrticidor. A well-known instance of such application is furnished by tlie examples in arithmetic, which are to be worked by the jiui)il independently. All true intelligence — that is, all information, that has at the same time become organized knowledge, and there- fore able to develop power — requires the united action of those three i)roductive activities of learning : observing, thhihing, and oj'plging. If anything is left undone in one of these respects, the loss cannot Ije made good again. What is thus true on the whole and in all branches of knowl- edge, is also true of every single topic, every " method- unit,'' i.e., every portion of concrete material from which one general notion or concept is to be developed. Every sudi topic must be Avorked over in this threefold manner — by observation, by thought, by application. MEMORY IN APPERCEPTION. 93 These are the threi' chief acts or formal steps in the pro- cess of acquiring knowledge,^ We have now to inquire wliat part the nu-niory sliould play in connection with tliese three acts. It was alieady shown that tlie h-arniiig of new ideas and their conmiitnient to memory sliould go hand in hand. It follows from this that, in a lesson, every productive operation of the mind should be folhnved by committing the result to memory. Thus the results of observation (I.) must be at once im- pressed on the memory ; the result of the thouglit-})roc('ss (II.) must l)e immediately committed to memory. Only in the third step may special attention to mem9ry be omitted, because in the process of application the act of thought is repeated on and on, and. therefore of itself accomplishes the work of memory. The place, therefore, of the omitted memory -drill may be taken, if one wishes, by final repro- duction of the whole lesson as a test — either orally or in writing, and in the latter case perhaps in the form of an independent essay. The question may now be asked, Wh}-, then, must the 1 In tlio secoml of tlicso steps we may, as before sliown, distiiiguish two acts, judgment and conception. Furthermore, tlie first stei) re(iaires a preliminary act, to connect the new knowledge with the related old, thus resulting in two suh-acts here likewise, the introductory preparation and the presentation of the new matter. Hence, if we count these four sub-acts in place of those two chief ones, we shall have five fornnil steps. Cont. Rein, Outlines of Pedagogics, trans, by Van JJew, p. Ho. It is taken for granted that the reader has the good sense to see the limi- tations and countless modifications of these steps in practical school woi-k. They are but a resumd or generalization of exercises used and recommended by all good teachei-s for centuries, and are in no way intended to restrict or fetter the fn^cst activity of the j)upi]. To di.scuiis all of these points would, however, require too much of a digression here. It is hoiied that a special monograph on tliis subject will soon bo published, treating of the psychology of the recitation. 94 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. operations of learnin;^' and coiuniitling to memory go strictly parallel with each other ? — or, iu other words, Why may not the intentional commitment to memory be post- poned until all three acts of learning are ended ? The an- swer is very simple. If the concrete perceptions are not impressed on the mind and made easy of recall, the thoiujht- pron-ss will take place indifferently, or perhaps not at all ; and if the resulting thouglit product is not likewise stamped on the memory, it will he hindered in its ajjprication to other examples. Another reason still deserves considera- tion. Everything should be impressed on the memory as soon as possible after it is first learned ; for the longer one waits the more one loses of what was learned.^ Dr. Mager used to say, '^IJlioi the repetition is necessanj, it comes too late.'* Another point in regard to how far the observation material should be comndtted to memory needs some explanation. Since, in any single lesson, in historj^, for instance, this material is not thoroughly worked over in all its parts, but only some few ethical thoughts are developed from it, perhaps even only a single one, the question arises, Why, tlien, must the memory nevertheless be burdened with all this concrete material in its details ? In answer it may be said, that whatever of the observation material was not used on this occasion may be made use of later in another lesson — either as an example for comparison in the case of the formation of concepts, or as an example for applica- tion. If the work is properly planned, this will undoubt- edly actually be done with a considerable part of the concrete material remaining over. For, later on, where are PP 1 Compare Ehhingliaus's experiments showing curve of forgetting, . ri'>-120 of this book. WAYS AND MKANS OF COMMITTING TO MEMOItY. 05 tlie cxaini)l('s for comparison and application to l)e oljtained, if not in the main from the concrete material of the pre- vious lessons ? These concrete ideas must, therefore, ever be ready at hand and as easy of access as possible. What- ever is left over after the school years are past may still he turned to account in later life. Facts of observation are, to be sure, only raw material, but, in case they are retained in memory, they may be continually turned to account in ever new uses — just like a tree that bears fruit unceasingly, needing only somebody to pick it off. To allow the obser- vation material to be forgotten would be like cutting down a fruit tree after it has borne one crop. Having thus determined whereabouts in each lesson the memory is specially to be exercised, it still remains to indi- cate the sort of exercise. This is the point that makes our subject of such great practical importance in teaching, because the old psychol- ogy has nourished didactical errors in this regard, which are not only among the very worst that there are in the whole field of teaching, but, besides, they have made themselves particularly dangerous by being surrounded with a sort of sacred halo. The foregoing psychological investigation will put us into a position to recognize the right method of committing to memory, and to see the mistakes on the right and on the left in the proper light. We turn noAV to the icat/s cmd means of committing to memory. To avoid going astray, we must keep iirmly in mind the above definition of memory. To commit to mem- ory is, namely, to make the acquired ideas as capable as possible of reproduction, and not only that they may be faithfully and miickly reproduced, but also that they may be reached from many sides, i.e., through many different 96 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. ideas. In this dofiuition three points are to be noticed. First, that which is here assigned as the purpose of com- mitting to memory, namely, the power to recall the ideas. Hence, everything that has any influence at all in making the ideas capable of recall will come under the head of ways and means of committing to memory. Secondly, it is to be noticed that not only a one-sided, but a many- sided })()\ver of recall is demanded. Hence it follows, that if one means of committing to memory results in a more- suh'd power of recollection, it deserves higher estimation than another which secures only one-sided reproduction. Thirdly, mention is here made only of the purpose of com- mitting to memory, and nothing is said about any particu- lar method, or about the kind of ideas remembered. For, since there are different ways of committing to memory, the definition can contain only what is common to them all. and that is merely their purpose. Hence, if any one included in his meaning of memory a particular means of committing to memory, e.g., by repetition, all the other means would remain unused ; and if particular kinds of ideas were included, all other kinds would be omitted from the benefits of memory. The above definition will, there- fore, serve as a sure guide, and prove its value even at the very beginning of our survey. Keeping in mind, then, that the reproduction of an idea is the purpose of committing it to memory, we must at once recur to the two main forms of memory, to which all others are subordinate. Corresponding to the two laws of inemor}- ^similarity and simultaneity), are the two entirely different ways of committing to memory: the one asso- ciates the ideas by their content, and the other associates the ideas by the accidental factor of contiguity in time. K()|;MS of memoklzing. 97 As early us Kiiiit, tlies(> two fumlaiuciilal kinds were dis- tinguished, the first as the judicious^ or tkuikiiKj mcinonj, and the second as the viechanlcal memonj. The fact that these are the two essential forms, means that every activity of memory, whether intentional or unin- tentional, takes one or other of these two ways, and associ- ates the ideas in question either thinkingly or mechanically. If, therefore, repetition is made use of intentionally, it is not limited to either particular method of association, for it can take place in one way as well as in the other. Hence it follows that repetition is likewise of two kinds, either thoughtful or mechanical. If we add, further, that the commitment to memory may also take place invclun- tarily or spontaneously, and that here, likewise, either a thoughtful or else a mechanical association is formed, we shall have before us in full the fundamental forms as well as the secondary forms of the memory.- Thus we see the distinction between the two methods of association extends through the entire field of memory. It will, therefore, be advisable to examine this difference somewhat more closely before we take up the other differences between intentional and unintentional remembering. AVhat is the relative value of the two methods of asso- '^Yxnxw judicium, meaning judgment, deliberation, intuition. Hence this sort of memory is also called the "deliberative," the "reflective," tlio " rational," or the " logical " memory. Fundamental Forms. Secondary Forms. Thoughtful • r Intentional, (by law of similarity), j ^^. Spont.aneous. 2 Commitment to memory may be either or >[cchanical f Intentional, (by law of simultaneity), j ^^ Spontaneous. 98 TllorOIlT AND MEMORY. elation with rospot't to the strengtli of the association, or of the power to recall the idea into consciousness ? First ami foremost, we must inquire this relative value at the time of the first association, and without regard to any latiT repetition. The following may serve as concrete ex- amples of the two cases. Of mechanical association: An object and its name, or a fact in history and its date, or a foreign word and one in the mother tongue, or several sounds composing a melody, or several words forming a sentence, etc. Xow, on the contrary, in case the associa- tion is through thought, the similarity or relation of the ideas must have been recognized before, and hence it must liave been preceded by an act of thought, although, per- Imps, only a spontaneous process of conception. Suppose, for example, associated in this way, the square and the rectangle through the concept parallelogram, or the pine and the spruce through the concept conifer, or the ascent of a balloon and the fall of any other body through the con- cept gravity, or two historical events through the fact that one is recognized as the necessary consequence of the other, etc. Let us now compare the results in the two cases. The value of the association may be measured in three respects : by the Infensiti/ol its strength, by the exteyit of its influence, and whether the power of recall is one-sided or many-sided. How much strength there is, or rather let us say, how little strength there is in mechanical association, when the ideas meet in consciousness but once, the reader may attempt to estimate approxim;iteIy for himself. On the other hand, in the case of association by thought, when two similar ideas are present in the mind, if one comes into consciousness, it may reproduce the other without any previous act of con- SUI'KKIOKITV OK .Mi:Mr)i;V i;v SI M I LA 1:IT\-. 'J'J ception having taken place (see page 44). Hence it fol- lows that these ideas, even before the particular act of thought which unites them, are by their very existence as closely bound together as the mechanically associated ideas. Whatever strength the act of thought adds is, therefore, entirely in excess. This superiority in strength is owing to the recognition of the likeness in the two ideas, which is then expressed in the resulting concej^t. The concept is a band, as it were, or clamp to hold the ideas firmly together. I say a band '• as it were," for that which here binds to- gether is not something external, something outside of the ideas, as was the case in mechanical association, but ol)jec- tively it is nothing but the similar content of the ideas, and therefore belongs to their very nature ; subjectively, it is nothing but the recognition, the becoming conscious of this content. Hence it follows that this association by thought lasts just so long as the concept lasts, and the con- cept lasts so long as the ideas as such exist at all, that is, so long as their content is not lost. In a word, in case the concrete ideas are clearly apprehended and their similarity distinctly recognized, the association is so strong that it cannot be any stronger, and hence no repetition would be necessary to strengthen it; for, if one did undertake to repeat, this would only be for tlie j^urpose of making the contents of the concrete ideas wherein the concept is in- cluded, plainer and thereby stronger. The strengthening of the association results then of itself. Association by thought, therefore, possesses already in its very natuie as much strength intensively as the mechanical association can reach even after in a in/ rejjefitions. But still further. In the act of thought the concrete ideas together witli the concept have been siniultaiieousli/ in consciousness. Hence 100 THOUGHT AND MEMOKY. it follows that they have likewise been associated mechan- ically, and therefore in this point are once more as strong as ideas associated by simultaneity alone. In comparison with the exceeding strength which the thoughtful associa- tion already possesses in itself, this small addition of a sin- gle mechanical association, need hardly be counted ; we have mentioned it only in order to show clearly and with comi)leteness the great difference between the two associa- tions. The excess, as one sees, on the side of thoughtful association is truly enormous. Turning our attention now to the extent of the associa- tion with respect to other ideas, we see that in mechanical association without repetition the power of reproduction, as a rule, does not extend beyond a sequence of three or four ideas ; to gain command of a greater number requires sev- eral repetitions. On the other hand, the thought association embraces, to begin with, as many concrete ideas together with their concept, as have been compared in thought; it may have been two, three, four, or more. But the repro- ductive power extends still further. For, after the concept lias once arisen, its light and power extend to all the other related ideas present in the mind ; they also become, ac- cording to the degree of their relationship, more ready of reproduction, and belong accordingly to the sphere of recollection in the centre of which the concept lies. It is easy to see that this is the case from the fact, for example, that the pupils, after the concept has been formed, are able to hunt new examples for themselves. The power of the concept will affect even those related ideas which do not come into the mind till later ; as soon as these are born, they likewise belong at once to this sphere of reproduction, and therefore share its stren.orth. In this case thou'dit has MAN V-SI DEDN lii^l W, l^^^^f^(^\] ( \QX}1 performed the work of memory in advance, as it were. It is i)kiin to see that the thinking memory has a far gi-eater extent of influence than the meclianical. Lastly we inquire into the direction in which the power of recollection is exerted, whether it is, namely, one-sided or vianij-sided. In the mechanical association there are always only two members in each case so strongly united, that they can mutually reproduce each other, and even with these few the reproduction backAvard is not as easy as forward. If the series extends beyond two or three mem- bers, then only a one-sided reproduction is possible, namel}', forward. In the sphere of ideas associated by thought, however extended it may be, the connections of memory are, on the contrary, many-sided, or rather all-sided. For, in the first place, the whole of the concrete ideas belonging together can reproduce one another mutually ; and, secondly, these ideas and their concept are likewise mutually asso- ciated.' In a word, in this region the roads for the com- merce of ideas are laid out from the centre to all points in the boundary, and again, all the points in the boundary are connected with each other, — in brief, every idea can reach any other idea. Suppose we represent these connections between the ideas by connecting lines in a diagram. In the first figure on the following page, a, b, c, d, e, f, symbo- lize six ideas associated mechanically in a series. In the second figure are six ideas similarly symbolized, but asso- ciated by the many-sidedness of thought. They are held in the grip t)f the concept x, and by the similarity of their content any one is capable of reproducing any other one. The relative number of connecting paths in the two figures 1 A concrete idea can, moreover, call up its concept more easily than vice versa ; the reason for this the reader may hunt for himself. 102 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. will serve as a basis of comparing the availability of ideas associated by the two methods. The result of the foregoing comparison may be briefly sunnued up as follows : the power of the thinking mem- ory is — 1. Intensively much stronger than the mechanical memory, 2. Extensively greater, and 3. In direction all-sided, whereas the mechanical memory reproduces in series only, and is, in case there are more than two or three members in the series, only one-sided.^ We return now to the distinction between intentional and involuntary, or spontaneous memorizing (p. 97). In the very process of learning new ideas they are spon- taneously impressed on the memory. This takes place, as we shall see, in all the three steps in learning new ideas. 1 Further on we shall note still other weak points in the mechanical memory, such, namely, as show themselves wlion the memory seeks help by rfpf'tition. The influence of the emotions may, to be sure, upset any sucli calculations as that in the text; and yet I think the feelings too will usually be found strongest in association with thought rather than with mechanical reproduction. The ]>r('S(^nt monograph, however, concerns itstdf with tlie int(dlect only, and therefore may make the facts appear simpliT than they really are. OUSKIIVATIO.N OF TIIK CONCRETE. 103 (I.) OhscriHitloii has f(jr its pur]io.s(' the apprehension of concrete ideas. Now, in so fur as these ideas succeed each other in series, each two, and therefore also the whole series, become united by mechanical association. ]>ut also so far as there are ideas in the series that are related with one another, or with earlier ideas, in so far do we find also the precoii(liti()u for the association by thought. The working of mechanical memory is here plain to see; the other kind is, on the contrary, hidden, because it appears only in the form of the precondition. Thus the activity of observation performs in and with its own proper task of acquiring new perceptions, likewise a portion of the work of memory in both its forms. Now, one might think that, although this was right in theory, yet this first beginning could probably have but little importance, since the me- chanical association takes place only once, and therefore is very weak, and the association by thought occurs only in the form of the precondition. But that would be a great mistake — just as great as if one thought that education could not and should not begin until the pupil is already quite grown up. What is true of education in general, is also true of memory : it is just this first committing to memory in and with the work of observation that is of predominant importance. To understand this, it is only necessary for one to consider why observation is of so great consequence for the succeeding work of (II.) thought and (III.) application. For the success of these two processes of thought-elaboration depends essentially on the Avay in which the concrete ideas were originally formed : whether they were vivid, strong, and distinct, or, on the contrary,- faint, weak, and obscure. And tliis again depends on whether they were apprehended with interest, and hence ItU THOUGHT AND MEMORY. also witli attention, or, on the other hand, indifferently, and therefore inattentively. To enumerate all that goes to arouse a lively interest in the work of observation, and, with its help, to secure further a vivid, strong, and distinct apprehension, would exceed the lindts of this book. One point only will I call attention to, and that is the great difference it makes, whether, for example, in history, the matter is presented in general outlines, as in a compendium, and hence not concretely, or, on the contrary, is given with full and complete detail, and hence concretely and vividly. Just in proportion as the concrete ideas are originally strongly and distinctly apprehended, so are they also strongly and distinctly retained and firmly associated. Hence it follows, that Avhatever value the work of observa- tion has for tlie succeeding processes of thought, exactly the same value attaches to the spontaneous memorizing of it for its reproduction in these later processes. A discus- sion of memory which underestimated the importance of this unintentional memorizing in the work of observation, would therefore betray as gross ignorance as a discussion of the process of learning in which the importance of the woi-k of observation for the succeeding elaboration in thought failed to be recognized. The success of the work of observation depends, however, as we have seen, on the choice of the right method of teaching. To this right method in the work of observation belongs, liowcvcr, one other point which was only incidentally men- tioned al)0ve in speaking of the formal stejjs. In the work of observation, namely, the presentation of new matter must Ite ]jreceded by a- preliminary act, the so-called 2^'^'fiV- (ir'Hinti dn- introduction, or ''analysis" as Herbart says), in ordr-r that the new may be associated with the old. I want SECOND AND THIIID STAGES. 105 to point out tlie connection between tliis preliminary act and the memorizing of the new ideas. In two respects it helps to strengthen the association. First, by awakening a more lively interest for the new matter. The prepara- tory step seeks, namely, to recall to mind related ideas from the child's personal experience in and akrnt his home. Now, since the child has more interest in what he has him- self experienced than in what he otherwise learns at school, the new ideas associated with these experiences gain like- wise a more lively interest. How this increase of interest helps the memory was already shown before. The second way in which the memory is strengthened is as follows. - The scenes of one's childhood and early experience, on account of their frequent repetition and their close connec- tion with the feelings, are the best remembered. Ideas connected with these are therefore the most lasting that the mind can have. Just think, for example, of homesick- ness, or call to mind how, in advanced age, when the mem- ory begins to weaken, youthful reminiscences still remain vivid as ever. If the new ideas are associated with such strong old ideas, the former will thereby gain a powerful support, — just as when a weak young sapling is tied to a stout pole firmly planted. It is, moreover, not to be over- looked that this association, being with related ideas, takes place through thought, and is on this account also already very strong. In how far the (TI.) tliouglit-jyrocess in and with every conception at the same time performs the work of memory has already been fully exitlained in coniuK-tion with the comparison of the thinking and the mechanical associa- tions. Hence, the more thoroughly the concrete matter is elaborated in thought, the more abundant and many-sided 106 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. will bo the assistance it will gain in reprodnction. Since the association by thought is so strong, the act of concep- tion has but slight need of repetition. The need occurs in greater degree only when the result of thought is ex- pressed in a rule, maxim, sentence, proverb, or verse, which is therefore to be learned word for word and hence must be memorized mechanically. In the work of (HI.) application, the process of memoriz- ing is apparent, for with every new example for application the process of conception is repeated. What would other- wise have to take place by intentional repetition in order to make the concept distinct and ready of use, takes place of itself now in and Avith the application to the new cases. Hence, we find here spontaneous memorizing in the form of repetition, but not of the mechanical kind. Thus we see that the process of learning serves of itself to irajjress its acquisitions on the mind. This is true of all its three main steps, in the first of which the service is partly by the law of similarity, and partly by the law of simultaneity, but in the last two stages it is exclusively by the law of similarity of ideas. Such a memorizing, not undertaken for its own sake nor purposely, bu.t being carried out along with the process of learning, is called immanent, because inherent in the latter process. Since it, therefore, costs neither time nor pains, it is plain that it has a much higher worth than voluntary memorizing. Hence we may say: the more the course of study and the method of teaching are so planned as to allow of the greatest possilile amount of immanent memorizing, the more complete will they be. For, the more an uninten- tional memorizing finds place, the less time will be re- ([uin-fl ff)r ail intentional one, thus leaving more time free IMMANENT MEMOIIIZING. 107 to leiini new tilings. Thus the aiiiount of iinnumont mem- orizing furnishes an excellent means of testing whether the cori'ect method of teaching is followed. Two sulgects in tlie course of study are particularly adapted to furnisli such opportunities in the form of ex- amples for practice. These two are, namely, arithmetic and language, particularly foreign languages; but drawing may well be counted with them if it is rightly taught. Thus, for example, in the instruction in foreign languages the double translation is a contimial repetition by applica- tion of what was thus far learned from grammar and lexi- con. The same is true of the exercises for application in arithmetic and drawing. Why it is that in these subjects this kind of immanent memorizing has so much room, is not difficult to find. Leaving out of account whatever is peculiarly favorable in each of these subjects, and also aside from the fact that the practical purpose of all of these siibjects is a ready ability to do or, more exactly, to f'pplij what is learned, the remaining reason is that here the exercises for application can easily be arranged as silent or busy work, namely, so that the teacher does not have to be continually at hand to help. A\'e may infer from this what would have to be done in order for the other subjects of instruction likewise to gain as far as possible the advantages of immanent memorizing. The exercises for application would have to be as extended as practicable and as far as possible in the form of silent luisy-work. ^foreover. immanent memorizing may be fa- vored by a correct arrangement of the coiirse of study, namely, by the correlative association of the various sub- jects in the curriculum.^ 1 A good example of this is funiislieil in M'ilbur S. Jackmuu's dum- ber Work in Nature Study. 108 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. Intentional or voluntary memorizing makes help of repetition. \Vliat is the nature of this means, and how does it help in making the ideas easy to recall ? Has it only to do with the mechanical memory ? And what is its effect ? In no text-book of pedagogy will the reader prob- ably be able to find an exact discussion of these questions, and particularly of the first in regard to the exact meaning of repetition, nor will the psychologies probably contain any reference to them either. Everywhere such a discus- sion seems to be regarded as superfluous. Ah, if there were only innate ideas! But it is often just the sim- plest, most elementary relations that are the latest to be completely apprehended, because every one mistakenly thinks he has already mastered them. As a matter of fact, the usual ideas in regard to these questions are in many respects obscure and faulty, and Voltaire's expres- sion: Le superflu — chose si necessaire is nowheres more applicable than here. We shall, therefore, at once take up this apparently superfluous and yet so necessary task, and seek first of all to define repetition; the rest will then follow of itself.^ Of course every one knows what the word " repeat " in general means, namely, to do anything over again. But 1 How very lacking many of the text-l)Ooks in pedagogy, even those oflicially recognized as such, are in many matters needing most necessary ex])lanation, is all the more apparent, when we remember in contrast how much tliey contain that is superfluous. It is usual, for example, to enumerate a long list of so-called methods of teaching, of course under some strange tongue-twisting name (" acroamatic," etc.), all of which is hut vain and useless waste of words and pedantic cling-clang, whereas the indispensably necessary chief divisions of the teaching process, the three rrs]i. five formal steps, are not even mentioned. And then, as a re- sult, pedagogy must .submit to official scorn on account of its " Elusiniau mysteries"! TWO FORMS OF REPETITION. 109 what is its special meaning here, in the field of psychologi- cal i)eilagogy ? Here Ave have to limit tlie meaning by tell- ing wliat it is that is tlone over again. Terhaps, then, some one will say : To repeat means to call liaek once more into conscionsness acquired ideas. This definition is, however, too narrow ; for tliere are not only ideas to be repeated, but also feelings, acts of will, etc. But even in the field of in- tellect, that definition would be insutiicient, because it is obsciire in one point. A couple of examples will show what I mean. Wlien a concept is to be repeated, the teacher may, perhaps, give its definition again, or, it may be, only the name of the concept. This will evidently call the ideas in question back into consciousness ; but is the effect the same as if the ovlylnal 2^1'ocess of conception were once more performed? And if ideas of sense are to be repeated, is it the same, whether they are simply re- called into consciousness from memory, or whether they are again produced by ohseroation ? ^ There are, as one sees, two forms of repetition, the one stricter and more complete, the other less effective ; one carries out again the original act of production of the ideas in question and their association, the other, on the contrary, brings up only the more or less faded result of this act. Of course it is neither necessary nor, as a matter of time, practicable to undertake repetition exclusively, or even mostly, in that stricter form ; but it is necessary that the teacher should know tluxt there are two forms, so that he will not be applying the incomplete form where of right the better 1 This difference shows still more plainly in an example taken from the feelings. Suppose an emotion is to be repeated ; does it amount to the same thing whether the acual emotion is again called forth, or only its name, and hence only the mental idea of this emotion? 110 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. one should be used. When repeating for the first time, particuh^rly in the lower and middle grades, he will cer- tainly have to recur, as a rule, to the original process. Thus, for example, a history lesson will not be reviewed the first time from memory only, but will be presented again in class, or read in the text-book. Repetition in the stricter form is, consequently, nothing else than once more going through the given operation of learning (the work of observation, or that of thinking). To sum iip in one defi- nition, we may say : To repeat means (in the field of intel- lect) to call again into consciousness the ideas in question — either prod net ivehj or rep roducti veil/. The relation of repetition to the two natural forms of memorizing, the thinking and the mechanical, may be eas- ily stated. It is a means of help, offering its assistance wherever needed, to the thinking association as Avell as to the mechanical. Wherever its service is accepted, it as- sumes the same character as the particular form of memo- rizing, ju.st as a servant wears the livery of his master. In the one case the repetition is called thoughtful, in the other mechanical, although in itself it is entirely neutral in this respect. Hence when, as often happens, the word repetition is limited in meaning to mechanical memorizing, this is simply an error, showing that the relation between repetition and memorizing has not been made clear in such case. llepetition is a means, memorizing is its purpose, and the final purpose of memorizing is the reproduction of the ideas. So far as the effect of repetition on the memory is con- cerned, the following is to be noticed. That which is strengthened is, in the first place, each of the ideas in themselves ; and, secondly, their connection, no matter TREATMENT OF IlEVIEWS. Ill whctlun- tliis cnniicctioii is in lliouglit or only mechanical. In the case of mechanical x-epetition it is, liowever, not to be overlooked that the resulting strengthening of the ideas makes them more capable, likewise, for reproduction in thought, in case oppm-tunity offers later. The amount of help afforded by repetition may also be pretty accurately expressed, at least in the case of the completer form of repetition. If the mental process of repetition is not dif- ferent from the original act of learning, the aid to memory is essentially just as great in the one case as in the other, no matter whether it is a thinking or a mechanical associa- tion. I say '' essentially " just as great ; for there is, to be sure, a slight weakening, owing to the absence of the stim- ulus of novelty. Of course, too, this weakening Avill increase with every successive repetition. How much is to be de- ducted in case the repetition takes place in the shorter form of simply recalling the result of the previous act, the reader may estimate for himself. This question deserves particular attention in the case of historical subjects. If the stricter form of review has already accomplished its purpose, or if, from any cause, it may be assumed that the ideas are, for the present, sufficiently secure, then the re- productive form possesses certain advantages over the other. For, in the first place, the self-activity of the pupils will be called into play more strongly noAv ; secondly, the change of form affords a new stimulus ; and finally, in case the review takes place by questions, there may be even a third advantage, of which we shall speak later on, but which the reader will have no difficulty in already guess- ing. It all depends, as one sees, on using the two forms of repetition each in its right place ; and in deciding which is the right form, one must consider also the nature of the subject-matter to be reviewed. 112 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. In regard to tlio practical treatment of reviews, one point deserves special mention on account of its weight and general importance. Nothing prevents making an easy, quick, and lasting impression on the memory more than to offer it too much at once. Professor Ebbinghaus found he could remember seven nonsense syllables after a single reading. It took, however, sixteen readings to re- member twelve syllables, thirty readings to remember six- teen, forty-four readings to remember twenty-four, and fifty-five readings to remember thirty-six syllables. The psychological reason for this is closely connected with the so-called limit of consciousness. This fact leads to the familiar rule, if a series of ideas to be committed to mem- ory is too long, to divide them into smaller portions or groups and then memorize the groups, thus building up the whole series gradually. This is what Ratich expressed three hundred years ago, when he said everything must be learned "p/ece??/." This rule of practice applies to both kinds of memorizing, but in particular, of course, to the mechanical. The reason for this is easy to see. For, the mechanical association is of itself very weak extensively ; and besides, its full force extends to only two successive ideas at a time, so that the connection beyond the third or fourth member of the series can only be very small. Ac- cordingly we divide a story, for example, into smaller sec- tions ; a list of names to be learned in order, into small groups (e.g., the kings of England we divide by their fami- lies into Normans, Plantagenets, Yorkists, Lancastrians, Tudors, etc.) ; a stanza in a song or melody is memorized line by line, etc. In our previous comparison of the strength of association by similarity, with that of association by simultaneity, we THOrflllTFUL AND MKCHAXfCAL MEMORY. 113 found lluit, tlie former possesses important advantages over tlio latter : its strength is intensively mueli stronger, ex- tensively greater, and besides, many-sided. The compari- son, however, took no account of the help to be gained by repetition. Now that we have discussed this means of help as to its nature, its forms, and its usefulness, we shall have to ask, how it stands with the relative strength of those two methods of association, after repetition has taken place. So far as the three advantages possessed by the think- ing association are concerned, it is evident that they re- main as before, — of course, provided, that repetition takes place in equal measure in both cases. How would it be possible for the mechanical association to gain anything in its favor beyond the other, since the additional factor on both sides is one and the same ? If the two terms of a ratio be multiplied by the same number, the products will, of course, be in the same ratio. The relative situation is, therefore, as clear and definite as an example in arithmetic. One of the three advantages possessed by the thinking memory, namely, its intensive strength, receives, moreover, new light in this connection that deserves mention. In the previous comparison the fact was already alluded to, that, in every case of association in thought, there was likewise an inherent or immanent mechanical association. Before, we did not care to take account of this comparatively small additional factor. But this addition is multiplied by repe- tition until it now deserves to be counted ; for, by equal repetition in both eases, it already alone amounts to exactly as much as the entire strength in the case of mer.e mechanical association. The association by thought equals its rival already, therefore, merely by its immanent median- 114 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. ical Strength, so that all its own peculiar power and natural strength are altogether in excess. This comparison, how- ever, "the reader must remember, relates to only one of the three advantages, the intensive strength of the association. Both the other advantages — greater extent and many- sidedness — remain forever denied to the mechanical mem- ory, even after the most diligent repetition.^ From this comparison several practical inferences may be drawn in regard to the use of reviews. The tirst is, that, in the case of thoughtful memorizing, but little repeti- tion is needed to secure the result desired, namely, cer- tainty and facility in reproduction. The second is, that, in mechanical memorizing very much repetition is necessary, to reach the same result. This diligent repetition, which in the case of mechanical association is necessary in order to gain any result at all, has furthermore connected with it several noticeable effects, — such as, though not intended, follow of themselves. One is of an advantageous kind ; the rest are unwelcome disad- vantages, but which, willingly or unwillingly, must be taken in the bargain. The advantageous result consists in the acquirement of a high degree of facility in reproduction — a facility which may even exceed the proverbial monkey-like or parrot-like 1 This fact will also explain the oris7-(;o;5. The curve given on p. VH\ of this book is not taken from Ebbiughaus, but is con- structed from bis tables. 126 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. 30 repetitions, and so on. The curve is extremely steep, and sliows in a very graphic way the difficulty the memory has of mastering long lists. It should be added that when lists were chosen in which the syllables had a mkanixg, and could be thus asfiociuled, it was found the work of learning was reduced to one-tenth. By committing lists of nonsense syllables so that they could just be reproduced, it was found that after the lapse of only 20 minutes 58^ as much work was required to recommit as to commit an en- tirely new list ; or, in other words, 42 % of the original work was lost by forgetting. After one hour this loss amounted to 56% of the whole. But it was also found that the loss after this was very gradual, so that after 6 days there still remained 25^, and after 31 days there was still a saving of 21% in the work of relearning. CUKVE OF FOBGETTING, 100% 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 20.0 after lapse of a; hours Witli six 16-syllable lists, Dr. Ebbinghaus found the time saved in relearning, after an interval of 24 hours, was directly proportional to the number of repetitions (up to 64 repetitions) on the preceding day. But this saving amounted to only one-third as much time as the original learning required. Hence we see the bad economy of attempting to learn things lie/ore they can be used, under the plea that they will be of use later. One great waste of memory in school- work comes from learning things before they are needed, inasmuch an they have to he relearned each time that they are really employed. James P. Downs of New York has published a series of six HERBARTIAX BIIJLIOOKAPHY. 127 manuals on The Mnnonj. They aro, 1, T/ie Mastery of Memorizing ; 2, Quickiifnx of Pcrccjition ; 8, Ei/e and Kitr Memory ; 4, The Study of Luit'juatjes ; 5, Memory and Thowj/it; (i, The Memory-Traininij of the Youmj. The titles, however, lead one to expect a great ileal more of lielpfiil suggestiveness from these books than they actually contain. They have some good points, but are not worlii llieir cost {^')). For the English literature of the Herbartian School the reader is referred particularly to Kein's Outlines of Pedui/oyica, translated by C. C. and Ida J. Van Liew, Syracuse, N.Y. ; C. W. Bardeen, 1893. This is a Ijook of nearly 200 pages, but as thorough as anytliing on the sul)ject yet pul)lished in Englisli. It contains a full bibliograjdiy to date of works in English on Herbartian Pedagogy. Of these 1 should name as chief: De Garmo, E.stie)itiulti of Method, and Uerbart and the Herbartians ; Ufer's Introduction to the Pedayoyy of Hcrbart, trans- lated by J. C. Zinser; Ilerbart's Science of Education, translated by Henry M. and Emmie Felkin; Lange's Apperception, edited by De Garmo; Charles A. McMurry's General Method. The First Tear- Book of the Uerbart Society for the Scientific Study of Teaching contains valuable papers on Correlation, Concentration, and Culture Epochs. In these works the reader will find a fuller accoimt of " Method-uuils," or " Method-wholes," " Formal Steps," etc. All of these presuppose on the teacher's part a sympathetic acquaint- ance with the facts of child development and a good stock of sound common-sense in the correct application of these ideas. CHAPTEK T- Wk :. ? Taken fiom il. ~ , ^ - iiit*'^'^ tional memorizmg lational vepetitioiL maj be made to help the mechanical, cur even in certain cases entiiely take its place. The wodk of memory is here alone to be consideied, and forchennore only that portion that takes pLauee in schooL Aii tie prfiimimKirjf procKsses of aeymsifkiH trill be prtsmpposxd. In those subjects nsually classed as thGughtr- stmdifs in contrast to expiession-stndies, it is, of course, the cc: Terial, and hence the first formal step, \rhich re^ ; most diilL Of the following examples, there- f cse, all those taken from thooght-stadies refer exclusively to the material of observation. First Exjlmplk — faiem jfrom history. Tae sioiy may be any one the reader chooses, provided it is a metiioid-Trhole. We will suppose that the oral pre- sentation of the matter by the teacher,' including the inter- woven explanatory discussion, has been finished, and the i^:x.' ^r has now the duty of seein? that the same is ade- impressed on the memory. ' .ii will be the method pursued by a teaeler who :__i:c5 use of the mechanical memory exclusively ? We must, however, first come to an understanding of what is exactly meant by the expression mechanical mem- 12S METHOD OF MECHANICAL DKILL. 129 ory, or, in otlior words, how nnu-h place there is liere for mechanical association. In liist(Jiy and literature the very words used have, to be sure, a certain value ; but we will, nevertheless, assume that the teacher has no intention of requiring a literal commitment to memory, but agrees with us in thinking that the pupils should use their own words in rehearsing the facts of historyJ Thus, then, the me- chanical memory of the words used is excluded. Hence we have to do only with the material facts of history. These form objectively a definite sequence in the story as related, and yet not an accidental sequence, but one that is determined by the causal connection of the events. Now in so far as the pupils have understood this connection at the first hearing, the ideas have already become associated once rationally ; but in so far as this connection has not been conceived, the ideas have been associated only me- chanically. The fact, as a rule, will be that a portion of the ideas have found a rational, and the other portion only a mechanical, association. But suppose the most favorable case, namely, that in this first immanent impression on the memory the number of merely mechanical associations has been very small. How will it be now in case of repetition ? In so far as the pupils have not the logical connection in mind, this connection will likewise fail of repetition. And hence, if the teacher does nothing to freshen up the rational association, it will indeed happen that only a portion of these rational associations are repeated, thus 1 " I shall force my daujrliter to marry according to her inclination," said Madame DeStael, taught probaljly hy her own sad exporience. This maxim may bo applied to recitations in the thought-studies. The pupils sliould not only be alUwed, but even strongly encourapeil, to use their own words in recitation. Of course this encouraging must not dcgeue- rate into command, for then freedom would bo lost again. 130 THOUGHT AXD IVIEMORY. increasing tlie nuiuber of mechanical associations in the same degree. This will be especially true with the weaker pupils. "With this preliminary explanation, it will now be possible to say how the expression '< mechanical repeti- tion " is to be understood. It means that in such case the teacher does nothing to renew and deepen the concejjtion of the connection of the ideas, but restricts himself to a mere drill of the concrete ideas in the given sequence. Eeturning now to the above question, we shall follow the method of mechanical memory in detail. To begin with, the teacher, of course, will mentally divide the story into smaller divisions. But this is done only in the mechanical sense, and therefore not for the sake of disposing the subject-matter logically, but for the sole purpose of giving the pupils conveniently small portions. Accordingly, then, these divisions will not be provided with special headings. For this method does not require the pupils to think of these divisions as members, but only as pieces, and, of course, broken bits need no names. Hence in the division of the subject-matter these pupils take no part. And now the memorizing begins, namely, with the first paragraph. The teacher presents the matter once more, either orally or by having the pupils read ; in case it seems necessary, this may also be repeated a second time perhaps. Then he calls upon one of the abler pupils to repeat independently, and corrects, or allows the other pupils to correct, whatever is in need of improvement ; thereupon he calls on one of the mediocre pupils to repeat, and finally on one of the weakest. Thus reproduction and correction are continued so long as is necessary to enable most of the LOGICAL DlSPqsmON BY TOPICS. lol pupils, and, if })ossible, even the weajter ones; Tfc^ac<^(4ln- plish what is desired. After this the second paragraph is taken in its turn, in the self-same way. But this time, in reciting, the pu^jil is required to say both paragraphs together. The same takes place with every succeeding paragraph, until finally the majority of the pupils are able to reproduce the entire story Avith certainty, and even a certain amount of facility.' That would be just about the method pursued in the mechanical memorizing of history. It is characterized, as one sees, by the fact that rational association in thought is nowhere made use of. Compare with this the other method, which, in contrast, depends directly on the rational association. The first place in which thought here comes to the as- sistance of memory is in dividing the story into smaller sections. This division of the subject takes place at the first presentation for greater ease in the acquisition ; also, with the same purpose in view, the separate sections are 1 Rector Dorpteld records, in a footnote, how he felt, when at the time of tlio Regulatives (1872) he first came upon the practice of the last- named regulation in regard to repetition. He found the students in a Normal School trained to teach in this way. He had supposed it was impossible after the introduction of Normal Schools, to find such per- verted ideas of teaching. He wrote at that time in the Evangelical School Journal : — " Does it not seem as if one had already seen this sort of smart work elsewhere, and in other connection before? Is not this manner of com- mitting to memory precisely like that old way of learning the spelling lesson, in whirli with every successive syllable of a word the preceding syllables had to be again projionnced, after the manner of the ' house that Jack built'? Thus it would go: te — e = te; de— i = dT, tedl .: o_n_es = ofls, te'dlofls ; en —e — double Cs. ni^ss, te'dloflsness. What is here done with tlie syllables is just as regularly done there with the sentences and paragraphs of history." 132 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. provided with a general heading, or topic. Thus we see the difference of the two methods even in the very first step; for the topical headings prevent the matter from being cut up into arbitrary pieces, and substitute instead the logical disposition of the subject. Thus the sections become actual members of an organic whole, instead of merely loose pieces. Every heading is to be, as much as possible, in the form of a catchword. For a very good instance of such logical disposition compare the topical analysis by Dr. Hill in Fiske's School History of the United States. Here, for example, the period of the Rev- olution is divided into three chapters: I. Causes and Be- ginnings, 1763-1776; II. The Winning of Independence, 1776-1783; III. The Critical Period, 1783-1789. Under I. are the topics and sub-topics as follows : — a. Causes of III FecVuuj bettoeen England and her Colonies. 1. What was the European idea of a colony, and its object ? 2. \\niat erroneous notions about trade existed ? 3. What was the main object of the laws regulating trade ? etc. b. The Need of a Federal Union. 1. One great difficulty in carrying on the French wars. 2. An account of Franklin. .3. Franklin's plan of union. etc. c. The ,':>tanip Act Paused and Repealed. 1. The kind of government needed by the colonies. 2. How Parliament sought to establish such a government. 3. The nature of a stamp tax. etc. Fi7\\\t this must not be done by simply calling for a recitation of the whole section, and depending entirely on the monotonous repetition of this command and the equally monotonous repetition of the same matter until gradually even the Aveaker pupils have gained a certain facility. To do so in this final stage of memorizing, where of right quiet delib- eration, freedom, and alertness should be the rule as much 136 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. as in the two preceding stages, would be to cultivate tedious- ness systematically ; it would mean the renunciation of the increased attention, stimulus, and vivacity resulting from the use of questions ; it would mean, in short, to imitate the purely mechanical method before described. The cor- rect way is for the teacher to proceed again with analytical questions, i.e., to have the reproduction come in answer to questions, just as before in the case of reading. Accord- ingly these questions for reproduction will cover the same ground as those questions for reading, or at least they may do so. The particular forms of expression may be changed as much as practicable, in the upper grades, perhaps, by using language that is somewhat more difficult and techni- cal. One may see from what has been said that only such questions are intended as require a rather long answer; they should analyze the section, but not pick the separate sentences to pieces. Questions that concern merely one l)ortion of a sentence, or a single word, do not belong here at all. The reasons for tlie use of questions in reproduc- tion are the same as for their use in reading, and hence we need not repeat them. There is, however, in the case before us one new reason, namely, that this method is ensii.'r. This carries with it the further advantage that the duller pupils, perhaps even the dullest, can answer independently at the very first, thus relieving the teacher of the tedious necessity of requiring these slower ones to repeat after the brighter ones. If this Avere its only advan- tage, the questioning would, even on this account alone, be fully justified ; but with all the other numerous advantages added, it becomes completely inconceivable how there can bo any teachers wlio will give up this way, and prefer to torture themselves and their pupils with their monotonous LONG TItAINS OF THOUGHT. 137 mechanical memorizing.' After the iirst section has been repeated in this way in answer to questions, topically, it will of course be recited once more connectedly, — but again not at a mere word of command, l)ut in answer to the topi- cal question contained in the heading. The brighter pupils need not be required to give this final repetition, but only the duller ones, as we may take for granted that the others are able to do it after the preceding exercise. In this way the first section is gone through. The suo- ceeding sections are then repeated in the same way, first by reading and then by reproduction from memory. There is, moreover, in my opinion, nothing to prevent the pu- pils from reading the entire lesson at once, and proceed- ing by sections only when they come to reproduce from memory. This is, perhaps, on some accounts, the more desirable method, seeing that the whole selection has been ])resented in its entirety, and the logical disposition has likewise been memorized. The question now remains, whether, in this method of repetition by sections, some special means does not have to be taken to enable the pupils to recite the whole story con- nectedly. There is no doubt at all that school instruction should include this in its object, and should aim to enable the pupils to command lonrj trains of tlioiKjht and to recite independently. If this demand is understood, a.rii:hter ones. 138 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. for the time being, and not for all future time, the task is certainly not too difficult. But much time will be need- lessly lost and the teacher will be sorely tempted to recur to the mechanical routine, if he knows that the final exam- ination will likewise demand such ability of reproduction. The mechanical method accomplishes this end, as Ave have before seen, in its own peculiar way, by repeating the first section along with the second, and in this manner with every succeeding section reciting all the preceding over again. That this means secures the end, particularly when the mediocre and duller pupils are required to repeat after, admits of no doubt. But there is likewise no doubt at all that this procedure is most exceedingly tiresome for all concerned, but especially for the brighter pupils. There is a second evil which must not be overlooked. By the con- tinued precedence of the brighter pupils, all the others in the class are forced into their particular mode of expres- sion, and thus the repeating after can no longer be called an independent recitation. If the former used their own words freely, the others imitate their mistakes as well. The three evils are, therefore, much tediousness, restric- tion of free reproduction for the majority of the pupils, and the copying of a model unfit to be imitated. There is, hoAvever, fortunately another Avay, Avhich, though safe and faultless, seems to suffer only from not being known to the advocates of memory -cram. In the main, it consists in Avhat neither costs time nor makes the least trouble, be- cause all the while this work has already been done in the foregoing exercises of rational memory, as they have been descriljed. In a word, it consists chiefly in the fact that these exercises from beginning to end have made use of the thhikiiifj mi-nioi'if. The considerably greater intensive power HOMK WORK. 130 of memory h}* rational association, together with tlie vari- ous other advantages (avoidance of tediuusness, increase of interest, vivacity, etc.), bring it about that at this stage in the i)r()cess that command of the wliole thought is in the main already obtained. Tlie small residue that must yet be done will consist in the pupils' reading the lesson over at home, preferably aloud, — of course, by questions again and with regard for the logical disposition. This final review of the lesson is, in respect to the ground covered, exact and complete ; in respect to its character, since it takes place by questions, it is thoughtful ; and it takes up none of the time in school. This one review at the close of the lesson is the only work of memorizing that should be left for the pupils to do at home, so far as the concrete ma- terial is concerned. The practice thereby gained in read- ing is sufficient reason for requiring this work to be done. Assuming that the foregoing exercises of the thinking memory have done their full duty — that is to say: that, first of all, the immanent memorizing has not been want- ing which comes fron^ the thorough, concrete, oral presen- tation ; that, secondly, each separate section has been read over as well as recited from memory, and that both have been done in the thoughtful way ; that, thirdly, these sections are firndy connected in mind by the logical dispo- sition ; and, lastly, that the pupils have read them over thoughtfully once more at home — if this has been done, I say, there can be no doubt that pujnls of all grades of ability will have at least as much command in the con- nected recital of the story as the mechanical memorizing can accomplish in the same time, in spite of its special exercises for this express purpose. Those in authority, unfortunatelv, have too often been willing to overlook the 140 THOUGHT AND IVIEMORY. deficiency in power to think and the resnlting lack of in- terest in the subject, if only the required per cent was obtained in examination. If, after all tliat has been said, any one still has doubts whether this particular object, viz., the ability to recite connectedly the whole story, can be reached in the way described, it nevertheless certainly does not follow that we are forced at last to return to the tedious mechanical method. For what is there to prevent, if need be, the repe- tition of any of these exercises, whether of the reading or of the recitation from memory ? There is, however, to be sure, a still better means, which on the one hand is new in form, and on the other hand affords a desirable help to the weaker pupils. It consists in assigning to the brighter and mediocre pupils the presentation of the story in writ- ing, while the teacher in the inean time reviews one of the preceding oral exercises with the duller pupils. In brief, my theory of memorizing does not prescribe how frequent the repetition should be made, but it does demand that the repetition shall not be mechanical and, above all, shall not be tedious or tiresome, but should always make use of thought by means of logical disposition, and well-directed questions. This is now the place for a brief summar}- of the char- acter and advantages of this mode of memorizing in the case of historical subjects. So far as their character is concerned, the repetition ex- ercises above described are by no means a combination of the rational and mechanical modes — as my introductory remark might have led one to believe — but on the con- trary tlioy are, from beginning to end, exclusively thought- ful in their nature. For the mechanical association is NATURAL SCIENCE. 141 never intentionally used, and tlie connected recitation of the matter without questions occurs not as an exercise in repetition, but only as a final reproduction in the form of a test. The advantages are as follows : — 1. The association in thought nuikes the power of mem- ory in the.se repetition exercises intensiveli/ stro7if/er, thus saving time, — to say nothing of the fact that this power is extended to a much greater number of associated ideas, thus becoming many-sided in the reproduction. 2. Whatever strength the mechanical association has in each repetition belongs each time, as a matter of course, to these thought exercises — as a free gift. 3. The pupils must be constantly deliberating, and are therefore forced to keep their thoughts on the subject, and pay attention to content and expression. 4. Tlie tediousness of mechanical memorizing is not present. 5. The language work receives a considerable advance- ment in facility of reading, which, moreover, returns to re-enforce the further learning of history. The brighter pupils have besides an exercise in written composition. G. Inasmuch as fewer repetition exercises are necessary, and since those that are used are considerably more stimu- lating and lively, and therefore more interesting, the dis- gxist and dislike for the subject which is so prominent a weakness of the mechanical routine is, so far as possible, avoided. Second Example — taken from the natural sciences. The subject matter in the natural sciences is essentially 142 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. different from that in tlie historical subjects, in so far as in the former the new ideas arise as direct sense-percep- tions, while in the latter they must be produced by means of language on a basis of imagination. In this immediate apprehension through the senses, the natural sciences have a great advantage to begin with. But this advan- tage extends also to tlie memorizing in several ways. In the first place, the ideas of sense are stronger than those produced by the imagination. Secondly, a natural object, in case it is a body or a physical process that is being studied, is conthmousJ y before the eyes for observation, so that in this way the separate characteristics, so far as they are apprehended at all, have already experienced frequent repetition. Both circumstances combined must have the result of taking less time and trouble for the voluntary commitment to memory than are required for lessons in history. But there is still a further advantage. As we saw in the first example, the different errors and mistakes in memorizing historical matter are connected with the fact that here the ideas must be conveyed by language. The agency of language easily misleads into mechanical repetition, and, moreover, to make use of book-learning in the wrong place. In the case of natural science subjects the teacher is not so liable to be led into these mistakes. For the logical disposition (1st stage) almost forces itself on him ; to refresh the ideas (2d stage), he is warned by the very nature of the subject to have recourse to observa- tion again ; and in the succeeding recitation from memory (.3d stage) the preceding logical disposition suggests to him the desirability of judicious topical questions. It will, therefore, not be necessary to describe any particular les- son in natural science, especially since there are so many NATURAL SCIENCE. 143 branches, clioiuistry, physics, botany, zoology, meteorohigy, geology, physical geography, and astronomy, that the differ- ences in the subject matti-r lead to many differences also in the method of teacliing and in the appliances used. An example taken from only one of these branches would, therefore, not quite tit any other, and hence could easily lead to misunderstandings. I shall therefore mention only such measures as either apply to all the branches, or at least show plainly to what particular ones they do belong. The remarks will naturally be connected with the three stages of memorizing above noted. In the first stage, as we know, the logical disposition, which the pupils have already sketched in the work of observation, is to be committed to memory. In describing a plant or animal the logical dis- position, to be exact, must be branched into main divisions and subordinate sections, instead of being a uniform se- quence. But such a branched sequence may be just as easily retained as one that is uniform, provided it is well understood, — indeed it may even be easier, since, in the form of the plant or animal, everything is present to the eyes at the same time.' In the second stage, where the memorizing of the sep- arate sections begins, the repetition, in order completely to refresh the ideas, must fall back on immediate observation. ^Vhen the most important points have been reviewed in this manner, the section may then be read for completeness. 1 Of course it is to be understood that such descriptions in the lower and middle grades must be thorou-hly simple in their nature. Even in the upper grad.s they should not lose themselves in minute details, but- ou^ht constantly to have reference to such characteristics as are of espe- cial importance either for the life of the livini^ thing, or for its resthetioal bearings, or as a means of recognition. 144 THOUGHT AITD MEMORY provided tlie matter is appropriate to such an exercise, lu this case the reading forms the transition to the recita- tion. The reading is. however, not necessary so far as its object is merely to impress the matter on the mind; for natui-al science has an immense advantage in the fact that its ideas are obtained by direct observation. But the read- ing is, nevertheless, useful ; first, because of the repetition in a new and different form ; but secondly, and mainly, because the pupils are thereby better prepared for later self-instruction, since a written description is always more difficult to understand than a free oral explanation. The final decision, however, whether in the natural sciences the lessons should be read so far as the subject matter admits, does not belong here in a work on the memory, but rather to the subject of the correlation of studies. It may, in certain cases, be much better to assign such reading to the langiiage lesson than to that in natural science. In the second stage of memorizing the drawing of natu- ral objects has special value, being indeed indispensable as a means of exact apprehension and retention. It may per- form good service even in the history lesson. This work, however, must not be confounded with the proper and regular instruction in drawing. The third stage of memorizing is the recitation from memory. This will, of course, be oral usually, but a writ- ten exercise at this stage is recommended, whenever the teacher has to give his attention separately to the weaker pupils, and also now and then as a home exercise for the entire class. It need hardly be remarked that such repe- tition must be thoughtful and not mechanical. Hence, wherever the logical disposition is insufficient, the teacher will find it serviceable to make use of judicious sub-ques- MEMORIZING CHOICK SELFX'TIONS. 14o tions. If, for <'xuiii[»lo, a })luiit loaf \vas to Ije described, there could be distinguished first the petiole and the blade, and in respect to the latter whetlier simple or compound, etc. Practise in connected recitation is not excluded by this exercise. For the written reproduction, whether a connected de- scription is intended or not, as well as for the review at libme, printed questions for review are desirable. This is particularly necessary in order to render the home re- view an exercise in thought, and prevent it from degener- ating into book-learning, that is always half mechanical, and, in the case of a dry outline, is in addition as tedious as it is unfruitful. In physical science these review ques- tions can be and must be, for the most part, genuine exercises for application. From both of the above examples the reader will be able to conclude that, in our opinion, the work of memorizing should be done in the school, exclusively so in the first and second stages, and for much the greater part in the third stage of the process also. This applies equally to all the subjects of instruction. Only a small and easily accom- plished residuum of work should be left to the private in- dustry of the pupil at home. In this way not only is every over-burdening prevented, but the proper means will thus be taken to insure zest in the work of memo- rizing. TlIIUl) EXAMI'LK. Such studies are here included as, in comparison with the foregoing examples, contain a new element, in that, besides the thoughts expressed, also the form of expression is to be learned, — such selections, therefore, as are to be 146 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. committed to memory word for word. Of course occasion for such selections may occur in almost any of the subjects of study : in literature, in history, in singing, etc. In such a case, before the pupils begin to memorize the work, the thought content of the selection should first be worked out by the regular method, i.e., according to the formal steps of apperception, viz., observation, thought, application. This will insure not only the understanding of the general thought, but also include the proper expla- nation of unfamiliar words and phrases. Short pieces to be committed to memory, as, for example, a proverb or a stanza of poetry, which occur as accompaniments of a history lesson, of course receive the explanation in that connection. The memorizing of words, apart from any help derived from their meaning, must depend, of course, on the law of simultaneity. Memorizing is, therefore, in such case me- chanical. Since the purpose of such memorizing, just as in learning a song, consists in reaching the greatest pos- sible certainty and ease in reproduction, and since in this case the facility, and in part also the certainty of memory depends chiefly on the mechanical association of ideas, the drill in repetition, of course, must not be given up until this result is reached. Taking thus much for granted, we may now enquire whether, in this case also, rational asso- ciation may not be called in to the assistance of mechanical memorizing. This can most certainly be done, and its ad- vantages are most plainly manifest just where the mechan- ical method gives the most trouble, namely, in selections of greater length. What the teacher can do in this direc- tion may be told in a few words, after what has been said iu the previous examples. MEM0KIZ1N(; CHOICE SELECTIONS. 117 First Sfii/jc. JCveii the nu'cluinical inetliod rccjuircs the selection to be divided up into snudler sections. For the sake of rational association this requirement is so far mod- ified that the sections must be not mere fragments, l)ut actual members; in short that this division of the subject into parts must be a logical disposition by topics. The work of memorizing begins, then, by committing this logi- cal disposition with considerable thoroughness. Second and Third Stages. In the middle and lower grjules, each separate section will now be read and re-read. This is essential, if for no other reason, to gain the correct intona- tion and whatever else is necessary to a good delivery. The other exercises that go along with this — such as trial recitations from memory by the brighter pupils, home re- hearsals, etc., — need no detailed description here. The one feature of the work which, from our point of view, is the most important, is that in all of this reading and reci- tation the logical analysis must ever he 2^>'esent in mind ; for without this the help to be gained by rational associa- tion is lost. Whenever a section is read or recited, the topical heading should be given every time, — whether by the teacher, or by the pupil reciting, or by one of the other pupils, depends upon circumstances. The same, of course, is to be observed when several sections or the entire piece are read or recited. In a word, reading and recitation should come constantly in answer to questions, — which implies that in the case of longer sections sub-topics should be inserted also. In this way the association in thought keeps pace, hand in hand, with the mechanical process. The advantages of this manner of treatment have already been spoken of. But since the help of rational association is doubly necessary in such cases as that just mentioned, 148 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. whereas in practice it is but seldom employed here, it may be well to recount at least some of those advantages. In the first place, the mechanical repetition in this way gains in vivacity and interest, and so becomes less tedious. Secondly, it becomes easier, and the retention is likewise strengthened, since two bands hold stronger than one alone. In the third place, the ideas are made more capable of reproduction for a further elaboration in thought at some future time; which fact is here all the more important, because the continued drill of mechanical repetition con- fines them so firmly in its one-sided association that they are on this account all the stiffer and less fruitful for other combinations of thought. Fourthly, the pupils are neces- sitated to keep their thoughts constantly on the subject, both as to meaning and form of expression. Fourth Example — tali-en from arithmetic. This study is fortunate in allowing of diligent memoriz- ing without the need of mechanical repetition. But there used to be one place in arithmetic that was heartily de- tested by the pupils on account of its tiresome mechanical memorizing ; and there are probably many schools still where, in this matter, the acquisition is more irksome than is necessary. This part of arithmetic to which I have ref- erence is the multiplication table. We will conclude by a consideration of this subject, in order to call to mind how these two antipodean methods of memorizing appear in the field of number. 1. Wliat is the mechanical mode of drill, for example, on tlic nuiiilxT 2 in the multiplication table? As a sensil)le person, the teacher of course would not let ATUTHMETIC. 14U anything be committed to memory that was not under- stood. Accordingly, the numbers from 1 to 20 have been learned previously, we will suppose, on a basis of concrete observation. Besides this, exercises in addition and sul> traction have already been practised within this range. Now, a new chapter in the difficult science of number is to be learned, namely, multiplication. Therefore the teaclier will, of course, provide for the necessary concrete under- standing of the process. For this purpose he draws two chalk marks on the board, and then again two more, thus II + II; the pupils count them up correctly, = 4 marks; then he draws three times 2, then four times 2 marks; the pupils add again of themselves, = 6, = 8 marks. When this has been continued to ten times 2, and this addition has been repeated several times, it might be supposed that the subject was clear to the pupils. The next step is to introduce the new expression "times," and so translate the exercises in addition into multiplication. Thus much being accomplished, and therefore all the requirements of concrete instruction having been fulfilled, the work of com- mitting the columns of the multiplication table could now begin. The mechanical way in which the children jierform this part of the work is only too well known. 2. Now contrast with this the mode of i)rocedure tliat makes use of the rational memory. The purpose of what follows is not so much to show how to teach the multiplication table, for most teachers think they know that already, but rather to call attention to a certain peculiarity in the rational association of numbers, and to the pedagogical results of this in practice. The purpose is, therefore, more psychological than pedagogical. That which everyone thinks he know.s is not usually 150 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. taught, and even the text-books on psychology are wont to pass over the subject in silence. The concept of number is, as was incidently remarked before, a concept of relation. That is to say, in the case of a number we are concerned Avith a characteristic of rela- tion, and that not only in its conception but also in its perception, viz., with the relation between unity and plural- ity ; for example, the perception tliat the number 5 is five times as great as 1. Now, since the characteristic denoted by the name of the luunber is one of relation, its concrete apprehension presupposes always a previous comparison — just as the pitch cannot be distinguished in a single sound by itself, but only when two sounds of different pitch are compared together. This presupposed comparison is one reason why the concrete apprehension of a number is not so easy as is generally thought. But there is a second diffi- culty. As a characteristic of relation, enumeration is not a material quality of a number, but something entirely for- mal ; in order to grasp this formal characteristic there must be, therefore, first an abstraction of the material character- istics. Thus the concrete apprehension contains impliedly both the mental processes of comparison and abstraction, which otherwise only occur in conception. As a matter of fact, in arithmetic the formation of the concept, i.e., the transition from denominate to indenominate numbers does not give children the most trouble, but just this process of perception. This explains why it is that, among savages, adults fre- quently cannot count beyond ten, sometimes not beyond five. The concept of pure number is, however, always present even with these people, at least in its spontan- eous form, as soon as they can count to two ; that is, as HOW CHIILUUEN COUNT. l";! soou as they are in possession of two perceptions of number. So, too, with our own children ; nearly every parent is at first probably so astonished at the arithmetical stuj)idity of his first-born as to have serious doubts whether the child will ever grow up to count to a hundred. Preyer's child at twenty-nine months, although he could talk well enough, and say over the numbers up to ten, could not apj)ly even " two " and '' three " correctly. At this period, however, he was taking his own method of learning, — a very sug- gestive method, by the way, — and was counting every- thing by ones. He would put up a ninepin, and say " one," then another, and say "■ one more," then a third, "one more," and a fourth, aud so on, each time counting " one more," although not naming the sums. A little girl of two and one-half years that I know uses similarly the expression "more ball" for each additional ball in counting by ones. 1 tried in vain, by the use of objects, to teach a little niece of mine, when she was two and one-fourth years old, to distinguish " one " and " two." She was bright and eager enough, but she could not get it right half the time. Another little girl of three and one-fourth years, who can entertain you with stories and talk by the hour, can say the numbers up to twelve in order without trouble, but cannot yet discriminate in the use of " three " and <' four." In the case of weak-minded children this is more apparent still. Ireland reports a boy ten years old, at the Larbert Institution, who knew all the colors, and was learning the alphabet. He formed an estimate of the character of those around him, and had some notion of moral relations. He talked volubly on childish sub-' jects, but was so deficient in arithmetical power that he seemed "at nine years of age to have no conception 152 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. even of a unit. He would say that he had three heads, touehiug his head several times with his fingers." The following year he mastered the idea of two, and could count cautiously up to three. Verily, there is a great deal more than mere memory involved in learning the multipli- cation table. The perception of a plurality, for example, of the num- ber 6, is not completed by a comparison with unity alone ; in order to be entirely clear and perspicuous, the comparison must be made with all the intervening numbers also. Full perspicuity is, however, not secured even by this. Side by side with the building up or synthesis of a number, its analysis must likewise be perceived ; and, in the former case, its composition by multiplication as well as by addi- tion, in the latter case its decomposition by division as well as by subtraction. The division must appear likewise in both the form of finding the number of equal parts, and that of finding the size of the equal parts into which a quantity may be divided. Now, to be sure, what the pupil actually perceives in the synthesis of a number by addition, and in the analysis into the same parts of the same number by subtraction, is exactly the same in the two cases ; but each operation has a different result and, moreover, a dif- ferent way of expression in language. It is, however, just this difference in the way of expressing the process that makes the second operation seem like a new one to the pupils, and hence causes the difficulty in understanding. The same is true of the other corresponding operations. Now what conclusions can we draw from all this regard- ing the proper method in arithmetic, so far as concerns numerical relations only ? First, of course, this, that every number must be com- CONCLUSIONS AS TO I'KOl'Hk Ml IT HOD. 153 ])arefl not only with unity, but with all i)receding numbers, and that this cuniparisou must be by all four rcsp. five fundamental operations. Secondly, this, — and here we return to the question of the right mode of memorizing, — that if the pupils are to learn arithmetic in the easiest, quickest, and most fruitful way, thou they must everywhere uiemorize by thought, and never mechanically. This, of course, is just as true of addition and subtraction as it is of multiplication. That is to say: we sliould never attempt, by means of mechanical association, to have the pupils impress on their minds the result of a problem ; for the full value of arithmetical exer- cises does not lie in the quick retention of their answers, but in always solving the problems by thinkinfj, i.e., by clear, self-confident perception. For the perspicuity thus gained in the perception of numbers involves everything else, knowledge of them as well as skill and facility in their use. The retention of results in any other way than by thought is force-work, resulting in precocity of facility at the cost of genuine knowledge, and in the end the learning of arithmetic will be made difficult and slow. Still a third monition follows from the discussion aliove. If the pupil has perceived the synthesis of a number by the addition of all the various combinations of its constitu- ent numbers, there is properly nothing more left for him to understand about this number. For he will be able at once to solve all problems in the other fundamental opera- tions with this number, provided they are presented to him in known terms, that is, objectively. What he has to learn new is, in reality, only the new expressions for these dif- ferent operations. Of course this includes the practice also which is necessary for fiu-ility in operating with these 154 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. expressions. This being so, it follows in teaching that every succeeding comparison of this number with its com- ponent numbers in subtraction, multiplication, etc., at first must be expressed in terms already familiar to the pupils, to insure facility of perception when the new expression shall be given. They should not be allowed to get the idea that decomposition of a number by subtraction, etc., is anything new to be learned. If this mistaken idea is once allowed to form, they become confused by the new expressions, and in this way the subject is unnecessarily made twofold more difficult. As a fourth inference, this is to be mentioned. The ap- prehension of numbers by perception is so important and critical alike for their understanding and for facility in their use, that so soon as the numbers in the short range ^rom 1 to 20 are altogether really clear through and through in all their relations, the chief work for the entire range of numbers is already accomplished, both as to abil- ity to understand as well as for facility in their use. Let the teacher stoj) and just think for a moment ivhat that imjAles. "We proceed now to describe the method of teaching the multiplication table by the use of the rational memory. For the sake of comparison with the mechanical method we will suppose that, as before, addition and subtraction have been carried through the whole range of numbers to twenty before multiplication and division are taken up. By rights, of course, as before remarked, each number should be carried through all four operations from the beginning. Tlie difference between the two methods shows itself at the first step, in the objectivation of multiplication by the COMPARISON or THE TWO WAYS. 155 addition of like quantities. This difference appears in two ways. Tlie objectivation oeeiirs, of (•f)urse, in botli ( ases ; but, whereas the meehanieal teaelier goes over at once to new expressions for multiplication, and leaves the drill of repetition till later to be cai-ried out in this new form, the more thoughtful teacher would begin this drill immediately in the form of addition. And also, whereas the former in his succeeding " exercises aims at impressing on the mind only the answers (products), the latter gives his at- tention constantly to the repetition of the act of thought (perception), knowing as he does that the results will come of themselves. Accordingly he asks, always in the forms of addition, how much is2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2?2 + 2 + 2? etc., at random, and not in the order of the table. He is not so much concerned to have the pupils answer as quickly as possible, as he is to have them keep pace with him and give the sum correctly, while he slowly gives out the quan- tities to be added. For the activity on the part of the pupil should be nothing but a repeated act of thought ; and in order to secure this, and prevent the so-called " learning by heart," the teacher departs from the regular order in his questions, and by speaking slowly allows the pupils time for deliberation. This thoughtful r(>petiti. five fundamental ways. By leaving multiplication and division until addition and subtraction have been 158 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. finished throughout the table, the difficulty of thought is increased both in understanding and in memorizing the new processes. The restriction to addition and subtraction may, nevertheless, have a certain amount of justification in so far as it is made to apply to the very first numbers — say from 1 to 6. But in the case of 6 or 8 the two neg- lected operations must certainly be made up immediately, and with every succeeding number all four operations should be treated together. CHAPTER YI. SUMMAKY AND CONCLUSION. Aftkr the foregoing psychological and pedagogical in- vestigations, we may now stop and look back over the field and see clearly how thought and memory are related to each other in the work of instruction — as well in regard to the peculiar significance of each for the development of the mind, as in regard to their interrelation and mutual re-enforcement. Thought is necessary, along with observation and imagi- nation, in the acquisition of knowledge ; and its particu- lar office here, in distinction from that of observation and imagination, is the production of hiut even in the many instances where verbal com- mitment to memory is necessary, ami where, therefore, mechanical association is unavoidable, the rational means of memorizing through logical disposition and questions may afford very desirable assistance. Nothing much re- mains, therefore, exclusively for the mechanical memory but the instruction in singing, if we except the occasional learning of names and nuiul.)ers in the other subjects. 162 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. If we reckon together all the assistance rendered to memory by thought : — 1. the immanent memorizing — in the operations of thinking, 2. the exclusively rational repetition — in the study of facts, in arithmetic, etc., 3. the assistance of rational association — in the case of verbal commitment to memory, we find the surprising result that by far the greatest part of the work of memorizing is accomplished by thought, when the right method of instruction is followed. That implies, therefore, that memorizing, which in the mechani- cal form would be a subordinate piece of service, is thus changed into a noble and inspiring work, and thus brings with it all the other advantages before mentioned. The mistakes in method, resulting from a perverted con- ception of memory and of its relation to thought, may be now clearly summarized. 1. The first mistake is in not being acquainted with im- manent memorizing, or in not making sufficient use of it. This mistake occurs Avherever the three rcsj). five formal steps in the acquisition of knowledge are not consciously or unconsciously followed, and wherever the principle of the correlation of studies is not recognized. 2. The second erroi-, generally associated with the first, consists in ignoring the help afforded by thought in the case of intentional memorizing, or in not sufficiently making use of the former, — whether by neglecting the logical dis- position, or the secondary questions, or the appropriate use of reading, or finally by committing all three mistakes at once, — in a word, by restricting one's self more or less to mechanical repetition. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION. 103 3. A third mistake is one tliat those iu authority liave contributed to spread. It is the view tliat restricts the idea of memorizing to mean tlie eommitment to memory of words only. In sueh case it seems not to be known, or else to be totally ignored, that first and foremost the ideas themselves, concrete and abstract, for which the words stand, must be memorized. It is furthermore not known, or else ignored, that not only ideas, but also feelings and acts of the will, yes, even actions, must be memorized chiefly through repetition. In the case of actions tliis memorizing is generally called habit. Neglect in this mat- ter has esijecially serious consequences for the formation of character, but for the present we will restrict ourselves to the intellect only. The falsity of the view referred to appears not only in the material memorized, but as well in regard to the method of memorizing. For the confine- ment of the attention to the form of expression, to the ex- clusion of the material ideas, prevents of itself the proper appreciation of immanent memorizing. Nor is there much likelihood that sueh a one-sided view will make appropriate use of the means for rational association in repetition, but it will rather, on the contrary, prefer the mechanical way. Both the first-named errors above alluded to characterize the work of momorif-cnnn, wherever found. It neglects the iise of immanent repetition, and ignores the means of rational association ; or, in one word, it makes ex(dusive use of the mechanical memory. The third and last-named error, of restricting the idea of memorizing to mean the commitment to memory of a particular form of language, is not necessarily involved in cramming; but when the two are associated together, the resulting method is doubly bad. 164 THOUGHT AND MEMORY. A mistake of another kind is still to be mentioned here, which, however, is fortunately fast dying out. May we hasten the day of its burial ! Wherever it is still alive it makes its presence known by special " exercises for mem- ory," separate •• memory lessons," and similarly separate '' thought exercises," and tliirdly, what is still very com- mon, separate ^' object lessons." Indeed, all of these exer- cises, in many instances, have been incorporated into the coiu'se of study as if they were so many separate subjects of study. The origin of this mistaken notion is undoubt- edly the false idea taught so industriously by the old psychology, according to which each class of mental phe- nomena or activities was ascribed to a separate faculty or power of the mind. Of course this is as smart as it would be in botany, for instance, to talk about a root-force, a tuber- forming force, a branching force, a tendril-forming force, a tliorn-forming force, a leaf-forming force, a flower-forming force, etc., etc. It is, in fact, just what the old heathen mythology did, when it ascribed every different kind of phenomena in nature to a special and independent divinity. The psychological mistake of supposing there were inde- pendent mental faculties led naturally to the pedagogical one of supi)osi]ig that, by exercising any of these faculties on one particular subject matter, they would be trained for use on everi/ occasion, just as a knife may be sharpened by rulj])ing on one particular body, and yet may be used to cut any other substance as well. That this theory is a pure superstition might be seen without help of the new psychology, because it was well known and could not be doubted that an understanding of mineralogy did not pro- duce an understanding of botany nor an understanding of zoology; that a mathematical understanding was far from SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIOX. 1G5 being a musical miderstanding as well ; tliat tlie understand- ing of theology did not bring with it an understanding of pedagogy, etc. But false opinions grown old are difficult to eradicate, and the presence of the "object lesson " in many courses of study and works on pedagogy is a speak- ing proof of this fact. In conclusion, tlie doctrine of this book may be thus summarized : — I. In school Inst met ion tlie memoky is fundamental in its importance ; but, II. Thought is tlie sole purj)ose, and at the same time the very best means, of do in j the work of mem art/. REFERENCE LIST Giving full titles, publishers, and dates of all books referred to in the foregoing pages. Bain, Alexander: Mental and Moral Science. Part First: Psychology and History of Philosophy, pp. 42S+ Appendix pp. 101. London: Longmans, Green, & Co., 1884. The Se/ises and the Intellect. 3d edition. London : Longmans, Green, & Co. Baldwin, James Mark: Handbook of Psychology. Senses and Intel- lect. 2d edition, revised, pp. 343. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1S90. Mental Development in the Child and the Race. Methods and Processes, pp.496. New York: Macmillan & Co., 1895. BuowN, H. "W. : Some Records of the Thoughts and Reasonings of Chil- dren. From the Collection of Observations at the State Normal School at Worcester, Mass. In Pedagogical Seminary, Vol. II., pp. 358-3<)6. BuRNHAM, William H. : Memory, Historically and Experimentally Con- sidered. In American Journal of Psychology, Vol. II. The follow- ing are the topics: I. Historical Sketch of the Old Conceptions of Memory, pp. 39-90. II. Modern Conceptions of Memory, pp. 225-270. III. Paramnesia, pp. 431-464. IV. Recent Theories and Experimental Studies, pp. 568-622. Appendix and Bibliography. T>F. Garmo, Charles: Herbart and the Herbartlans. pp. 268. In the Great Educators Series. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1895. The Essentials of Method. A Discussion of the Essential Form of Kight Methods in Teaching. Revised Edition. i)p. 133. Boston: D. C. Hcatli &Co., 1893. Dewey, J ou:^: Psychology, pp.427. New York: Harper & Bros., 1890. Dow.vs, Jamks p.: The Memory. A series of six Manuals, containing about 100 pages each. (1) The Mastery of Memorizmg ; (2) Quick- 166 IiEFEUEN(;K LIST. I'm ncss of Pcrcoption ; (.i) Eyo and Ear Moiiiorj" ; (I) Tlic Study of Lan<;uu{;es ; (">) Memory and Tlihy of Memouics, 1325-1888. pp.224. New York: G. S. Fellows & Co., 1888. FxsKE, John: A Ilistoinj of (he United States for Schools, pp. 474. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, & Co., 18'.H. Fitch, J. G. : Art of i^aestionbvj . In Vol. 9. " The Teacher's Mentt>r," of The Standard Teachers' Library. Syracu.so, N. Y.: C. W. Bar- deen, 18i>4. Also, as separate pampliet (Ljc.) by E. L. Kellogg & Co., New York City. Lectures on Tcachinfj, delivered in the University of Cambridge, 1880. pp. :?<«. New York: Macmillan & Co., 1889. FuLLERTON, Georgk S. : On Sameness and Idrntit;/. In Publications of the University of Pennsylvania. Piiilosojdiical Series, No. 1, April, 18<.»0. Philadelphia: University I'ress, 1890. Galton, Francis: Inquiries into Human Faculty and its Development. pp. 387. London: Macmillan & Co., 188.3. Harris, Wm. T. : Introduction to the Study of Philosophy. Selected and arranged by Marietta Kics. pp. 287. New Y'ork: D. Appleton & Co., 1889. Herbart, Johaxn Frif.drich: A Text-Book in Psychology. An at- tempt to found the Science of Psychology on Experience, Meta- physics, and Mathematics. Translated by M. K. Smith, pp. 2(X). Vol. 18 of International Education Series. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1891. The Science of Education; its general principles deduced from its aim, and The ^Esthetic Rerelation of the World. Translated by Henry M. and Emmie Felkin. pp. 208. Boston: D. C. Heatli& Co., 1893. ' Hering, Ewald: On ifemory as a General Function of Orrianiztd Mut- ter. Nos. () and 7 of The Open Court, Chicago, and in Butler's Unconscious Memory, chapter vi. Also separately in Religion of Science Library, published by T/ie Open Court, Chicago, 189.'). Hoffhing, HAROLn: Outlines of Psychology. Translated by Mary E. Lowndes, pp. .■«;."). London .ind New York: Macmillan & Co., 189L Jaokman, Wilrdr S. : yutnber Work in Xature Study. Part I. pp. 198. Published by the Author, Cook Co. Normal School, Chicago, 1893. y 1G8 REFERENCE LIST. Jambs, William: The Principles of Psychology. Vol. I., pp. 689. Vol. II., pp. 70i. American Science Series. New York: Henry- Holt & Co., 181)0. Kay, David: Meino7'y, ichat it is and how to improve it. Vol. 8 of In- ternational Education Scries, jip. 334. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1888. Ladd, CiEORGE T. : Elements of Physiological Psychology. A Treatise of the Activities and Nature of tlie Mind from the physical and experimental point of view. pp. G96. New York: Charles Scrib- ner's Sons, 1892. Psychology, descriptive and explanatory. A Treatise of the Pheuomena, Laws, and Develojjment of Human Mental Life. pp. G7G. New Y^ork: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1894. Lange, Karl : Apperception. A JNlonograph on Psychology and Peda- gogy. Translated by the Herbart Club and edited by Charles DeGarmo. pj). 279. Boston: D. C. Heath & Co., 1894. LiNDN'ER, GusTAV ADOLF : Manuul of Empirical Psychology. Trans, by Charles De Garmo. pp. 274. Boston: D. C. Heath & Co., 1890. McMuuRY, Charles A. : The Elements of General Method. Based on the principles of Herbart. 2d edition, iip. 201. Bloomington, 111. : Pub- lic-School Publishing Co., 1893. The First Year-Book of the Herbart Society for Scientific Study of Teaching. Prepared for discussion at the Denver Meeting (1895) of the National Educational Association. Edited by Charles A. Mc- Murry, Secretary of the Society, pp. 139. Bloomington, 111. : Public- School Publishing Co., 1895. [It contains four papers: (1) Most Pressing Problems concerning the Elementary Course of Study, by President Charles De Garmo; (2) Concentration, by Dr. Frank M. McMurry; (3) The Educational Tlieory of the Culture Epochs, viewed historically and critically, by Dr. C. C. Van Liew; (4) Plan of Concentration for the first four years, by Mrs. Lida B. McMixrry.] Mill, James: Analysis of the Phenomena of the Human Mind. Edition by Jolin Stuart Mill. Vol. I., pp. 453. Vol. II., pp. 403. 2d edition. London: Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer, 1878. Mnkmojjics: in Encyclopaedia Britannica, and Memory in Chambers's Encyclopaedia. MiJLLKR, Max: Lectures on the Science of Language delivered at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in 18r)l-.3. Fifth edition. Vol. I., I)p. 4.")9. Vol. TI., pp. 000. London : Longmans, Green, & Co., 1864-6. I'k'K, Edward: On Memory and the Rational Means of Improving it. Loiulon: 18(;2. REFERENCE LIST. lOH I'reyku, "NV.: Mental Devclopninit in (he Child. Trans. l>y Jl. NV. Brown, pp. 170. Vol. 24 of Intornalionul Etlucatioii Series. New York: D. Appletou & Co., LSiW. The Mind of the Child. Part II. Tlio Develo[»ment of tlie Intel- lect. Ob.servatibns concerning tlio mental development of the Imniiiii being in the first years of life. Trans, by H. AV. iSrown. Vol. of International Education Series, pp. 317. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 18'.t;!. R.VDKSTocK, Paul: llnbit and Its Importance in Education. An Es.say in l*edag. RiBOT, Th. : German Psijcholorpj of To-dnij. Trans, by James Mark Baldwin, with a preface by James McCosh. pp. ;i07. New York: Charles Scribncr's Sous, 18.S(j. Dii^eases of Memory : an essay in the positive psychology. Trans. by "W. II. Smith, pp. 20'J. Vol. 41 of International Scientific Series. New York: D. Appletou & Co., 1893. The Diseases of the Will. Trans, by M. M. Snell. jip. l.;4. Chicago: The Open Court Publishing Co., 1894. The Psijchology of Attention, pp. 121. Chicago: The Open Court Publishing Co., 1890. Spencer, Herbkrt: The Principles of Psycholof/ij. Vol. I., pp. (VJO. Vol. II., pp. G48. London: Williams and Norgate, 18S1. Stout, G. F. : The Ilcrharlian Psychology. In " Mind," Nos. 51 and 52, Vol. XIII. London: Williams and Norgate, 1888. Sui.r.T, James: Outlines of P.gy, with special reference to the Theory of Education, pp. 711. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1892. The Human Mind. A Te.\t-book of Psychology. 2 vols., pp. .">()1 and .393. New York : D. Appleton & Co., 1892. Uker, Chr. : Intrvdurtiiin to the Pedagogy of Ilerbart. Authorized translation from the fifth German Edition, under the auspices of the Herbart Club, by J. C. Zinser. Edited by Charles De Garmo. pp. 123. Boston: D. C. Heath & Co., IS'M. Ziehen, Theodor: Introduction to Physiological Psychology. Trans. by C. C. Van Liew and Otto Beyer, pp. 2.*<4. London: Swau Sonnenschcin & Co.. 1892. Education, For descriptions uf forthcoming books on Education, see announcements at end of this catalogue. II7OR American Schools and American Scholarship there is no more healthful sign than the newly-awakened interest of teach- ers in all that pertains to successful work and personal culture. At the outset of this great and wide-spread movement in favor of better methods and worthier results, it was but natural that the practical side 01 education should be treated out of all proportion, while its theoreti- cal and historical aspects should be somewhat overlooked. But if education is to become a science and teaching to be practised as an art, one means to this end is to gather and examine what has been done by those who have been engaged therein, and whose position and success have given them a right to be heard. Another and not less potent means is, to gain a clear comprehension of the psychological basis of the teacher's work, and a familiar acquaintance with the methods which rest upon correct psychological principles. As con- tributions of inestimable value to the history, the philosophy, and the practice of education, we take pleasure in calling the attention of teachers to our books on Education, mentioned in the following pages. It is our purpose to add from time to time such books as have con- tributed or may contribute so much toward the solution of educational probleins as to make them indispensable to every true teacher's library. The following good fronts, and also the opinions quotetl undrr the sereraf ro/unirs, are an earnest of' tlu- ajtjtre- ciation in trhirh the enterprise is held : — Dr. Wm. T. Harris, Concord, Mass. : I do not think ih.it you have ever printed a book on education ihat is not worthy '.o go on any teacher's reading-list, and the best list. (AfarcA 26, 1886.) J. "W. Steams, Pro/, of the Science and Alt of Teaching, Cniv. of Wis.: Allow me to say that the list of books ivhich you are publishing for -uc use of 113 teachers seems to me of exceptional ex- cellence. I have watched the growth of the list with increasing pleasure, and I feel that you have done a service of great value to teachers. \May 26, 1886.) N. M. Butler, Pres. of Nnv York City Coll. for I'tiiining of Tfiu/iers : I am greatly interested in your series of pedagogical publications. EDUCATION. 117 Apperception. A Mono^aph on Psychology and Pedagogy. By Dr. Karl Lange. Trans, lated by'the following named members of the Herbart Club: Elmer E. Brown, Charles De Garmo, Mrs. Eudora Hailmann, Florence Hall, George F. James, L. R. Klemm, Ossian 11. Lang, Herman T. Lukens, Charles A. McMurry, Frank McMurry, Theo. B. Noss, Levi L. Seeley, Margaret K. Smith, and edited by Charles De Garmo, President of Swarthmore College. Cloth. 279 pages. Retail price, gi.oo. THIS is perhaps the most popular scientific monograph on education that has appeared in Germany in recent times. It has the rare merit of being at once thoroughly scientific and intensely interesting and concrete. Not a little of its value arises from the fact that it approaches the problems of education along the highway that teachers must actually pass in order to solve them. Its standpoint is, in brief, the living, developing mind of the child itself. Apperception is a single word comprehending the whole complex of processes known as mental assimilation. It is here considered in its original nature, and in its application to instruction and moral training, both as regards the developing child, its interests, powers, and mental stores, on the one hand, and the selection, arrangement, and methodical treatment of the subject-matter of instruction, on the other. The scientific value of the volume is enhanced by a somewhat extended chapter on the history of the term Apperception, found at the close of the book. The prediction is not unwarranted that this unpretentious monograph will awaken more universal interest and stimulate more educational thoughts than any other single work that has been issued in the United States during the last quarter of a century, for it ushers in a new epoch in the popular study of education in this country, that of scientific treatment enriched by a vast wealth of concrete, interesting material. In it science has become popular treatment, and popular treatment scientific exposition. Edw^ard T. Pierce- Prin. of Nor- mal School, Los Angeles, Cal.: I am more than pleased with the book. It is a fascinating book to a teacher who is sear:hing after truth. I shall not only recommend it to teachers, but urge them to get the book. {Nov. 25, 1893.) L. B. Klemm, of the Bureau of Edu- cation, Washington, D. C: There are few educational books on the American mar- ket that come up to this in usefulness. It has qualities which will make it a favorite text-book in Normal Schools and other pedagogical institutions. The little book will be hailed with delight, and justly so, by the great number of teachers. {Aug. 23, 1893.) ii8 EDUCATION. Manual of Empirical Psychology. An authorized translation from the German of Dr. G. A. Lindner, by Charlei De Garmo, PhD., Professor of Modem Languages in Stale Normal I'mvep sity, 111. Cloth. 274 pages. Price by mail, gi. 10. Introduction price, ?i. jo. nPHIS is the best Manual of Psychology ever prepared from the -*■ Herbartian standpoint, which, briefly characterized, is the standpoint of pedagogics. No other school of psychologists ha-; thrown so much light upon the solution of the problems arising in tht instruction and training of youth ; and no other author of this school has been so successful as Lindner in compact yet comprehensive and intelligible statement of psychological facts and principles. The book is what its name indicates, a psychology arising from the given data of experience; yet there is no psychology in English which does so much toward arousing an intelligent interest in the advanced depart- ments of rational psychology and philosophy in general. That an effective educational psychology must be based upon ? concrete experience, rather than upon the a priori forms of mind is reasonably evident, but Lindner is more than a mere recorder of ex perience. He unfolds his subject as a true inductive science, never losing sight of the organic development of mental life. This gives him a great pedagogical significance. Again, he is always interesting. His explanations are lucid, pointed, and self-consistent, while every department of science and of experience has yielded its choicest facts to enrich the contents of the book. The work is especially recommended for normal schools, reading circles, and higher institutions of learning. G. Stanley Hall, Pns. of Clark Univ., I V'orcesUr, A/itss. : The practical applicability of this stand-point and book makes its merits. G. Williamson Smith, Pres. of Trinity Coll., l/ttrtfjni, Conn. : It is an original work, on well conceived principles and carried on by methods of induction approved by all. F. Louis Soldan, Prin. St. Louis Normal ami hi:;h School: Lindner's Psychology is one of the best works, if not the best, of the vigorous school to which he belongs. Tlie translation is an im- provement on the originaL W. H. Councill, Prin. State Nor- mal ami Industrial School, Ala. : The work possesses every merit necessary to give it a permanent place among thehigb* est order of te.xt books. G. S. Albee, Pres. State Normal School, Oshkosh, \ Vis. : Only the most original and realistic t&nchers have been able to obtain results in class work which lifted the study of psycholog>' above con- tempt. This key-note of the best and most definitely tnie teaching appears upon nearly every page of Lindner. The author may congratulaie himself th.^t his .Vmeri* can editor was a dear-minded psychologist EDUCATION. 119 TJic Essentials of MetJiod. Revised Edition. A discussion of the essential forms of right method in teach- ing by Charles De Garmo, Ph. D., President of Swarthmore College. Cloth. 133 pages, Retail price, 65 cents. Special price for class use. THIS little volume is an initial work in the science of methods, no attempt of its kind having previously been made in English. It assumes, therefore, an importance and significance which are not measured by its .size or price. It comprises three parts: i. The psychological basis. This con- sists mostly of a discussion of the nature of the individual and the general notion, and of the true nature of mental assimilation, or ap- prehension ; 2. The necessary stages of rational methods as deter- mined by the psychological basis. We have here an exposition of the functions of observation, of generalization and of the application of generalizations m fixing and utilizing knowledge ; 3. Practical illustra- tions, showing how the teacher may consciously observe these stages in his dail v work in the school-room . The Revised Edition gives both a pop- ular and a scientific explanation of the modern doctrine of Apperception. Experience shows that the book is admirably adapted to training- classes in normal schools, and to city or village reading circles, while no live teacher can afford to remain partially or wholly uncon- cious of what it reveals. J. W. Stearns, I>h.T>.,Prof. of Pe- dai;cgy, in [Visconsin State Univ. : It is the first real step toward the development of a science of methods in this country. B. A. Hinsdale, Prof, of Pedagogy, niv. of Michigan, Ann Arbor: A very good book indeed for students of educa- tional science. I show my opinion of it by putting it on a short list of buoks that I recommend to teachers. T. H. Balliet, Suft. of Schools, Springfield, Mass.: 1 think it has as much sound thought to the square inch as anything I know of in pedagogics. Geo. Morris Philips, Ph.D., Prin. State Normal School, West Chester, Pa.: An unusually excellent little book ; there can be no question of its merit. J. C. Greenough, Prin. of West- field Normal School, Mass. : A small book but a great work. One of the best pedagogical books ever published in the English language. M. L. Seymour, Prof, in State Nor' vial School, Cliico, Cal. : It is a book without a peer or rival in the discussion of the underlying principles of methods in teaching. It shoidd be the daily compan- ion of every teacher tart accessible to English readers. They have accomplished their work with the greatest care and self-denying zeal. The tran.slation is as readable as is consistent with an exact rendering of the original. If it is carefully studied, as it ought to be, tlierc will be no difficulty in understanding it. Their in- troduction is probably the best account of Herbart which has appeared in our tongue." — J'roiii Mr. Brow/u'itifs Iittrodmtioii. L. B. Klemm, of the Bureau of Education, Washington, D. C: It is with pardonable admiration for your " pluck " that 1 lay down Ilerbart's .Science of edu- cation after a thorough examination. I say " pluck," because it certainly needs a good deal of aggressive courage to offer the teachers of America such a work for professional study. The book is happily introduced by t!ie chapter on the life of Herbart, his pliilosophy and principles of education, and the two analyses by the transl.-itors. They offer a very convenient key to the treasures of Herbart's book. I like the transl.ilion ; have compared whole pages with the original, and am well pleased. It is a very creditable work. As a member of the profession of teachers, I offer you my gratitude for this publica- tion. {.Sept. 25, 1S93.) S. G. Williams. Professor of Phi- losophy, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.: I have read the book carefully and compared portions with the original, and I feel that you deserve the thanks of English speaking teachers for placing within their reach the work of this leader of modern German pedagogic thouglit. The translation is so nc.-it and so true to the original that it not infrequently makes the concise and somewhat poetic diction of the author more readily comprehensible than the original. {Oct. 16, 1893.) Educational Courant, Louisville, Ky.: It is a work that no educator can afford not to read and study. The volume will influence our theory and practice for years to come, and he who remains ig- norant of its contents can justly be ac- cused of wilful ignorance of what most I intimately concerns him. ' Science, Neu< York: Following the entertaining sketch of Ilerbart's life the translators have given a review of Her- bart's philosophy, together with a synop- I sis of the two works which follow and form the ])rincipal portion of the book. The review has cvidentlybeen written from a tliorou'^li acquaintance with Ilerbart's writings and is an additional aid to our un- derstanding of his principles. EDUCATION. 123 TJic Educational Ideal ; An outline of its growth in modern times. By James P. Munroe. Cloth. 268 pages. Retail price, 5*1.00. THIS work is prepared to meet the demand for a book which shall, in brief compass, present a concise and well proportioned view of the historical development of the educational principles which underlie the aims and methods of modern teaching. The book deals with the successive leaders in thought, beginning with the Renaissance, who have most strongly directed the educational aim towards its highest modern development. The chapters are biographical only as far as is necessary to give to these leaders a human interest, the object being to deal with the broad principles upon which the development of the educational ideal has rested, rather than with specific pedagogic methods. By means of the material furnished in the book it will be easy for anyone interested in educa- tional questions to pursue an extended study of the whole or of a par- ticular part of the historical period which the volume covers. CONTENTS. Chap. 1, Introduction; II, Rabelais. — The Revolt against Medise- valism ; 111, Francis Bacon. — The Revolt against Classicism ; IV, Comenius. — The Revolt against Feudalism; V, Montaigne and Locke. — The Child has Senses to be trained; VI, The Jansenists and Fenelon. — The Child has a Heart to be developed ; \'II, Rousseau. — The Child has a Soul to be kept pure; VIII, Pestalozzi and Froebel. — Senses, Heart, and Soul must be educated together ; IX, Women in Educa- tion — Education leads to and from the Family ; the Home is its Unit ; X, Sum- mary. Bibliography. Index. Introduction to the Pedagogy of Herbart. By Charles Ufer, authorized translation, under the auspices of the Herbart Club, by J. C. Zinser ; edited by Charles DeGarmo, President of Swarthmore College. Cloth. 131 pages. Retail price 90 cts. THfl Herbart Club heartily recommends this little volume as a clear and useful introduction to Herbart's system of pedagogy. It gives a bird's-eye view of the whole field of pedagogy as based upon psychology and ethics. It discusses with considerable fulness such topics as the following: The Development of Interest, the Choice of Studies, the Culture Epochs and Concentration, Methods of Teaching — The Formal Steps, and Moral Training. In part IV the author gives us some extended illustrations of the manner in which History, Language, Geography, Nature Study, Arith- metic, Geometry, and Drawing can be unified by concentration. 128 EDUCATION. The Stiiiienfs Froebcl. By William II. llERroRD, late member of the Universities of Bonn, Berlin, and Zurich. Cloth. 128 pages. Retail price, 75 cents. THE purpose of this little book, as stated by the editor in his preface, is to [jivc young people, who are seriously preparin;^ themselves to become teachers, a brief yet full account of Frocbel's Theory of Education ; his practice or jilans of method is reserved for a second part. This book is adapted from Froebel's Education of Humanity {Die Erzieltuiii^ dcr Mcnschheit), published in 1826. The editor has tried to give what is Froebel's own in English as close as possible t. the very words of his author. The book, in addition to an Introdm tion treating of the subject in general, has chapters on The Xursling. The Child, The Boy, and The School, and summaries of the teachings. The Psychology of Childhood. By Frederick Tracy, Fellow in Clark University, with Introduction by Presi- dent G. Stanley Hall. Cloth. 183 pages. Retail price, 00 cents. THE aullior has in this work undertaken to present as concisely, yet as completely, as possible, the results of the systematic study of children, and has included everything of importance that can be found. Some of its special features are thus summarized : — ( i) It is the first general treatise, covering the whole field of child psychology. (2) 1 aims to contain a complete summary, up to date, of all work done in this field. (3) The work contains a large amount of material, the re- sults of the author's own observations on children as well as those of perhaps a score of very reliable observers. (4) The subject of child- language has been gone into with especial thoroughness, from an en- tirely new and original standpoint, and with very gratifying result> (S) A very exhaustive bibliography, containing, it is believed, ever} thing of value that has ever been written on this .subject, is appcnde<; Earl Barnes, Department of Edu- cation, LeliinJ Stanford Jr. University, Cat. : No book has come from the press J. Clark Murray, Prof, of Philo- sophy, M\GHl University, A/ontrea/, Ca- nada: In linglisli we have certainly no original work on the psychology of child hood to compare with it, and even among translations from Oernian and French there is none which shows such a mastery of tlie whole subject. (JVor. 14, 1893.) during the past year which I have been so glad to see as this one. For ill of us who are carrying on courses in the psychol- ogy of children it will prove an invaluable aid. (Nai: 23, 1893.) EDUCATION. T A Labo ygfory Course in Physiological Psy- Jiolo'-y. By Edmund C. Sanford, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Clark University, "Worcester, Mass. Part I. 1S7 pages. Cloth. Introduction price, 90 cents. By mail, i^ 1. 00. HE use of the lal)oratory in teaching psychology is indorsed by the experience of the other sciences, by the approval of the best teachers, and by the psychological laboratories recently opened in leading colleges and universities in this country and in Europe. The need of some definite schedule of experiments for such work in the practice course in the laboratory of Clark University gave occasion for the first collection of the experiments here published in a form which it is hoped will make them useful to others. The aim has been to introduce the student to the most important facts and chief methods of experimental psychology so far as they are adapted to the handling of college men and within a moderate expense for apparatus. The course includes experiments upon the Dermal Senses, Static and Kinitsthetic Senses, Taste, Smell, Hearing, Vision, Psycho-physic. \^Pc7rt 11 in Press. The Connection of Thought and Memory. • A contribution ro pedagogical psychology. By Herman T. Lukens. Honorary Fellow in Psychology in Clark University. Based on F. \V. Dorpfeld's Mono- graph, " Denken unci Gedachtnis." Published under the auspices of the Herbart Club, with an Introduction by Dr. G. Stanley Hall, President of Clark Univer- sity. Cloth. 000 pages. Retail price, ocoo. HIS is a Herbartian book, showing how the interdependence of thought and memory should be realized in practice, followed by illustrations taken from History, Natural Science, Literature, and Arithmetic. It is an application of the theory of Apperception, and is intended for teachers' reading-circles, normal schools, and private reading. Being based on the work of Dorpfeld, which grew out of round-table conferences with teachers, it may be said to have already proved its helpfulness for teachers in Germany; and the adaptation to American ideas and conditions, while modifying the original in many respects, keeps true to its ideal. Although in the main following Herbartian principles, the book does not ignore the suggestions of psychological work that has been done in the last fifty years, but it is in touch with the latest approved ideas of the present day. {/n Press, ready soon. T HISTORY. Sheldon's United States History, rdr^-mmmar schools. Follows the " seminary " or laboratory plan. " By it the tliild is not robbed of the right to do his own think ing." Half leather, fi.25. Teacher's Manual to Sheldon's United States History. .\ key to the above system 60 cts. Sheldon's General History. For high school and college. The only general hUtory following the " seniin.iry " or laboratory plan now advocated by leading teachers. Half leather, fi.75. Sheldon's Greek and Roman History. Contains the first 250 pages of the above book. #1.00. Teacher's Manual to Sheldon's History. Puts into the instructor's hand the /•o' to the above system. 85 cts. Sheldon's Aids to the Teaching of General History. Gives also list of most css'.nti.il hooks fur a n-f' ri'iUL- libr.iry. 10 cts. Thomas's History of the United States. For schools, academies, and the general reader. \ narrative history witli copious references to sources and authorities. Fully illustrated. 532 pages. Half leather, fi.25. Shumway's A Day in Ancient Rome. With sg illustrations, should find a place as a supplftiteitiary reader in every high-school class studying Cicero, Horace, Taci- tus, etc. 75 cts. Old South Leaflets. Reproductions of important political and historical papers, ac- comp;\nicil by useful uutes. Each, 5 cts. and 6 cts. For lilies sec separate lists. Per hundred, ?3 fK>. Allen's History Topics. Covers Ancient, Modem, and American historj-, and gives an excellent list of books of reference. 121 pages. Paper. 30 cts. Fisher's Select Bibliography of Ecclesiastical History. An annotated list of the most esseiitiiil books lor a theological student's library. 15 cts. Hall's Method of Teaching History. "its excellence and helpfulness ought to s^cun: it many re.iiicrs." — The X.itioii. 51.50. Phillips' History and Literature in Grammar Grades. \ paper read before the Dcpariment of Superintendence, .It I'.i ioklyii, N.Y. I'.iper. 15 cts. See also our /is/ oj OUi Soutk fyn/Uts. D. C. HEATH & CO.. PUBLISHERS, BOSTON. NEW YORK. CHICAGO EDUCATION. Compayr^'s History of Pedagogy. " The best and most comprehensive history of Kducation in English." — Dr. G. S. Hall. 51.75. C0mpayr6'S Lectures on Teaching. " The best book in existence on the theory and practice of education." — Supt. M acAlister, Philadelphia. $1.75. Compayr^'s Psychology Applied to Education. A clear and concise statement of doctrine and application on the science and art of teaching. 90 cts. De Garmo's Essentials of Method. A practical exposition of methods with illustra- live outlines of common school studies. 65 cts. De Garmo's Lindner's Psychology. The best Manual ever prepared from the Herbartian standjioint. Ji.oo. Gill's Systems of Education. " it treats ably of the I,ancaster and Bell movement in education, — a rv/-j' important phase." —Dr. \V. T. Harris. JS1.2S. Hall's Bibliography of Pedagogical Literature. Covers every department of education. Interleaved, *f2. 00. ^1.50. Herford'S Student's Froebel. The purpose of this little book is to give young people preparing to teach a brief ytt full account of Froebel's Theory of Education. 75 cts. 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" Perhaps the most influential book ever written on the subject of K.iiicaiirominent instructors. 90 cts. Sanford's Laboratory Course in Physiological Psychology. The course includes experiments upon the Dermal Senses, Static and Kinscsthetic Senses, Taste, Smtll, Hearing, Vision, Psychophysic. In Press. Lange's Apperception : A monograph on Psychology and Pedagogy. Trans- lated by the members of the Herbart Club, under the direction of President Charles DeGarmo, of Swarthmore College, gi.oo. Herbart'S Science of Education. Translated by Mr. and Mrs. Felken with a pref- ace by Oscar Browning, fi.oo. Tracy's Psychology of Childhood. This is the first ^,f«irrai' treatise covering in a scientific manner the whole field of child psychology. Octavo. Paper. 75 cts. Soil l>v inall, postpaid, on receipt of price. D. C. HEATH &~CO^PUBLISHERS, BOSTON. NEW YORK. CHICAGO. lOOHOSlYWHONaiVXS 6r^5 IIIMII I I Z ^ ■^ 3 1158 00204 6653 lirS0IITHfR»;RFf;!ri';,'.! ; :Pr!;,nv llilllll. AA 000 779'967