The principles of psychology I-II. [antikvár]

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. Words are somewhat strained in their meanings by calling that a Second Edition, of which the new portion greatly exceeds the old portion in amount; as happens with this volume, and as will happen with its successor. Of the five Parts here bound together, the two that have previously appeared cover 217 pages; while the three that now appear for the first time cover 425 pages. Nevertheless, the fact that sundry of the cardinal ideas contained in this work were enunciated many years ago, must not be lost sight of. When, in 1855, the First Edition of The Principles of Psychology was issued, it had to encounter a public opinion almost universally adverse. The Doctrine of Evolution everywhere implied in it, was at that time ridiculed in the world at large, and frowned upon even in the scientific world. Naturally, therefore, the work, passed over, or treated with but small respect, by reviewers, received scarcely any attention; and its contents remained unknown save to the select few. The great change of attitude towards the Doctrine of Evolution in general, which has taken place during the last ten years, has made the Doctrine of Mental Evolution seem less unacceptable; and one result has been that the leading conceptions set forth in the First Edition of this work, have of late obtained considerable currency. In France, some of them have been made known incidentally by the treatise of M. Taine, De VIntelligence; and the lucid exposition of Pxof. Ribot in A