From Soul to Mind : The Emergence of Psychology, from Erasmus Darwin to William James

Early in the nineteenth century, psychology was considered a science of the soul; by the end of the century, it had abandoned the soul to become a science of the mind, says Edward Reed. In this lively and original account of psychology's formative years, Reed tells the story of the failures and successes of the attempts of nineteenth-century thinkers and practitioners—including philosophers, theologians, medical workers, mesmerists, and even poets—to make psychology into a science. He also situates psychological developments within the social, religious, and literary contexts of the times, taking into account the effects of such significant historical changes as rising nationalism, industrialization, urbanization, and changes in communication. __From Soul to Mind__ introduces a cast that includes not only well-known psychologists and philosophers (Kant, Reid, Darwin, James) but also figures important in their time who are largely forgotten today (R. H. Lotze in Germany, G. H. Lewes in Britain) and literary notables (Mary Shelley, E. T. A. Hoffman, Edgar Allan Poe). Countering the widespread belief that psychology is the offspring of philosophy, Reed contends that modern philosophy arose when academic philosophers sought to distinguish themselves from psychologists. He places the histories of philosophy and psychology within a broad intellectual and social framework and offers a new perspective on the roots of the New Psychology. Early in the nineteenth century, psychology was considered a science of the soul; by the end of the century, it had abandoned the soul to become a science of the mind, says Edward Reed. In this lively and original account of psychology's formative years, Reed relates the failures and successes of the attempts of nineteenth-century thinkers and practitionersincluding philosophers, theologians, medical workers, mesmerists, and even poets - to make psychology into a science. From Soul to Mind introduces a cast that includes not only well-known scientists and philosophers (Kant, Reid, Darwin, James) but also figures important in their time who are largely forgotten today (R.H. Lotze in Germany, G.H. Lewes in Britain) and literary notables (Mary Shelley, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Edgar Allan Poe). Countering the widespread belief that psychology is the offspring of philosophy, Reed contends that modern philosophy arose when academic philosophers sought to distinguish themselves from psychologists

In this prize-winning book Nathan O. Hatch offers a provocative reassessment of religion and culture in the early days of the American republic, arguing that during this period American Christianity was democratized and common people became powerful actors on the religious scene. Hatch examines five distinct traditions or mass movements that emerged early in the nineteenth century - the Christian movement, Methodism, the Baptist movement, the black churches, and the Mormons - showing how all offered compelling visions of individual potential and collective aspiration to the unschooled and unsophisticated.

CONTENTS 7 PREFACE 9 1. In Search of Psychology 19 2. The Impossible Science 40 3. Frankenstein's Science 56 4. The Breakdown in the Concert of European Ideas 78 5. The Brief Life of Natural Metaphysics 99 6. 1848 and All That 127 7. The Three Unconsciousnesses and How They Grew 145 8. The Apotheosis of Positivism 162 9. The Anomalous Mr. Darwin 186 10. The Generation of 1879, or How Philosophy Emerged from Psychology 202 11. William James: Psychology as a Science of Experience 219 Bibliographic Essay 239 Index 291