Forgotten ideas, neglected pioneers : Richard Semon and the story of memory

Richard Semon was a German evolutionary biologist who wrote, during the first decade of the twentieth century, two fascinating analyses of the workings of human memory which were ahead of their time. Although these have been virtually unknown to modern researchers, Semon's work has been rediscovered during the past two decades and has begun to have an influence on the field. This book not only examines Semon's contribution to memory research, but also tells the story of an extraordinary life set against the background of a turbulent period in European history and major developments in science and evolutionary theory. The resulting book is an engaging blend of biographical, historical and psychological material. PixEdit 7.11.8.23 (QSUKUVSVTKNP ) Twain scanned image with FUJITSU,FUJITSU fi-5750Cdj #5 (Driver version V9.21.720.0 Dec 10 2009),Driver version 9.21,Protocol 1.9,Memory,BW (Thresholded),A4,CCITT G4,4960x7015 pixels at 600 DPI in 1 BPP from 4960x7015 pixels in driver,T127 C0.0 B0.0 on Twain version : 1.7.1.1/A4B6590CC1/3326 MB RAM/Cpu 2/2/2068587753/1919191/Twain 1.9/9.21/qq14 Forgotten Ideas, Neglected Pioneers: Richard Semon and the Story of Memory 4 Copyright 5 Contents 8 Preface 12 Acknowledgments 14 Foreword 16 About the Author 20 1 Introduction 22 Story and Characters 24 Issues: History and Psychology of Science 25 I: The Story 30 2 Roots of the Drama 32 Beginnings 33 3 Haeckel, Monism, and the Dilemma of the German Jew 42 The Oracle of Jena 43 The Conversion: Causes and Contexts 51 4 Journey and Exile 60 In Search of Ceratodus 63 Semon in Australia: Some Psychological Perspectives 70 1897 74 5 Battles Won and Lost 78 The Initial Struggles: 1904-1908 78 Germany, England, and the Threat of War 90 The Hermits Lament: 1909-1914 92 6 Prisoners in their Cells 98 Consequences of the Great War 98 Felix and the War 105 Munich, 1918: Journey's End 108 Richard Semon: Some Final Perspectives 113 II. The Issues 116 7 Organic Memory, Lamarckian Heresy, and Semon's Mneme 118 Neo-Lamarckism and the Challenge of Weismann 119 Heredity as Memory: Excavations of a Scientific Atlantis 127 Relationships Between Memory and Heredity 131 The Mneme 141 The Reception of Die Mneme: Seeds of Scientific Isolation 148 8 Retrieval: The Mnemonic Missing Link 158 Memory Research in the Era of Ebbinghaus and Müller: Critical Concerns of an Emerging Science 161 Where is Retrieval? 169 Association and the Problem of Retrieval 173 Voices in the Wilderness 178 9 Semon's Theory and the Modern Psychology of Memory 184 Preliminaries: The Engram 187 Conditions, Functions, and Processes of Retrieval 189 Semon's Theory and Four Problems of Memory 196 10 Revolutionaires, Cranks, and the Research Community: Perspectives on Unrecognized Scientific Contributions 202 Theory Evaluation as Signal-Detection: An Heuristic Analogy 203 Null Effect: Semon's Influence on Memory Research 205 The Scientific Crank and Correct Rejections 216 The March of the Invisible Men: Profiles in Scientific Neglect 218 The Revolutionary and the Crank: Some Final Perspectives 230 11 The Psychology of the Isolated Scientist 236 Isolation, Recognition, and Intellectual Passions 237 The Anchorite Gallery: Struggles of the Isolated Scientist 242 The Psychology of the Isolated Scientist: Some Final Perspectives 261 Epilogue: Past, Present, and Future in Psychology 264 Appendix: Richard Semon's Theory of Memory 268 References 298 Author Index 312 Subject Index 320 Richard Semon Was A German Evolutionary Biologist Who, During The First Decade Of The Twentieth Century, Wrote Two Fascinating Analyses Of The Workings Of Human Memory That Were Ahead Of Their Time. This Book Not Only Examines Semon's Contribution To Memory Research, But Also Tells The Story Of An Extraordinary Life Set Against The Background Of A Turbulent Period In European History And Major Developments In Science And Evolutionary Theory. The Resulting Book Is An Engaging Blend Of Biographical, Historical And Psychological Material.--jacket. The Story -- The Issues -- Epilogue: Past, Present, And Future In Psychology -- Richard Semon's Theory Of Memory. Daniel L. Schacter. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 277-290) And Indexes. "Richard Semon was a German evolutionary biologist who, during the first decade of the twentieth century, wrote two fascinating analyses of the workings of human memory that were ahead of their time. This book not only examines Semon's contribution to memory research, but also tells the story of an extraordinary life set against the background of a turbulent period in European history and major developments in science and evolutionary theory. The resulting book is an engaging blend of biographical, historical and psychological material."--BOOK JACKET. "A fascinating story, told with narrative vigor and scholarly depth, and an important contribution to the history of the study of the human mind." Steven Pinker, Peter de Florez Professor of Psychology, MIT, author of How the Mind Works