The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-07-07
Psychology--Its Scope and Method.

considering what is meant by mind.
We talk of minds familiurly. All mcn
have minds. Some consider brutcs TO have
minds, which We call instinct. Human
minds are of chief interest hero.
In the study Of Psychology, we must
distinguish between mind as Il substance,
as a unity, and the mental states of mind.
10 consider mind as u unity belongs rather
to the province of philosophy, and lies out
side of psychology. Psychology has only
to do with mental statos, psychical facts,
etc.
The question as to The substance Of mind
is philosophical or metaphysical oac and
the solution of it is not necessary here, but
may be deferred to later date. Psvchol
ocgy may assume mind as unity, so far as
1t holds together the mental phenomena,
which are to he discussed by it, The idea
OF popular psychology IS, that when we
use the language 'mcntal states, mental
activity" etc, we can think Of the mind
willing, feeling doing, etc. SO far as we
Keep this III view, our treatment of nav
chology will hc correct.
But how shall we mark off the mental
phenomena of mind? We cannot resolve
them into anything simpler thar mental
states, and, perhaps, we will find cxprcs-
SION only IN saying, that they are part of
our conscious life, or state of conscious
ness. Again, wo may name over the diff
tercnt varieties nf mental phenomena, and
say, that mind is the sum of our processes
OF knowing, oar feelings of pleasure or
pam, and ot doing, &C. We arc apt to-
connect intelligence With our knowing and
say that intelligence is Il phase of mind,
which Is true, hut not Ill, for feelings and
sensations, resulting from external lhinrs
coming in contact with the senses, are real
~ as mach phases of mind as intelligence
or any other mental state. Finpl!v, we
might place mind in anliihcsis TO wlia: is
not m'n'i; not matter rs opposed to matters
sell, not To self; ego, to Dpn-rgo, and say
that mind has cXiat,,ncc only in time. mi
in space rs material bodies, for who can
place Il thought, a feeling, alongside an
olllcr anu C'n&ilCr them comparatively as
existing in space? We, tl!SH, may consider
mind as the S;nal!cr inner world (micro-
cosm) a5 distinguished from the larger cy
tclnal world (lnaCr0cosm).
Although il is well for us 10 look at mind
as opposed To matter, yet We mist also OBJ
scvc the close relation between them. a
human being is ma'lc up OF mind and body
- mind mcarnalc. Oar individuality Or
self is mind rather mys,criouslv connect cd
with physical organism. While We must
not confuse the mental with the material,
nor the rsychical with the physical. at the
same time, in our study Of pS, chUlnuy, we
cannot overlook entirely the physical.
ThclG has been much discussion abou,
the connection between mind and body.
These are certainty connected in time.
mere IS, 1t seems, an intcrAction between
thcm. On the one hand, nervous process.
cs prcccdc mental phenomena, as when the
senses are touched to produce the sensation
OF feeling, rs that OF sound, sight. etc.
On the other hand, mental processes pre-
ccdc and decide PHYSICAL movements, as
when the voliiions control ard determine
the actions of the muscles and nerves.
lSynEoinHy, then, must adoEt this cXpla-
nation OF it, that is, tile close ntcr,lc,rnd-
cncc between the mental and the physical.
IL can not set up mind as having no con-
ncCtl0n with nervous centres, nor The phvs-
lcal as not controlled in any sense by the
mental. When VIC try to explain any mem
tai rhcnomcna by saying that som" physic-
ai action preceded it, it is not explained in
full and cannot be done on any such
ground. The psychical fact is purely men
tai and we reach the truth more nearly i'm
saying, 1t is u state Of consciousness, or a
phase Ot "Ir conscious life. If two differ
cil impressions are UM'!c upon the mind
the perception of their difference is purely
OF mental origin. That is to say, the
physical may have some work in the mat
ter oi producing ;ac Impressions. but psy-
chologicAlly speaking, the perception be-
tween them is born OF mind and cannot be
resolved into anything simpler than Il men
tai state, or State of consciousness
When We keep this clearly in mind, we are
VII hin The domain OF psychology.
There are two ways Of studying mind.
! The direct, internal, subjective way iI l.,
lntruSpcc,ion We have The power to look
within and sec what is going on in our own
mlnds. For instance. II we have feelings
of jog for The beautiful or sublime or of
aversion for that which is unscemly, we
may look within and study their character
'sticS, elements, the peculiar circumstances
under which they exist, and whatever else
may belong to them
The obj, clive method has reference 10
cxternality to that which is without, and
is termed the indirect, external, objective
method OF studying mind in contru-dlSlinc-
tlon to the subjective method. In this, we
60 out of self, and study mind as VIC sec it
IN others. We learn the thoughts OF men
by speech; their motives by gesture and
look; and the make up of the Mh0lc man
by lEClr particular prociy ties and bearings
III general conduct and behavior. Such
are fully displayed on festive occnsi0nS anu
IN national rr''W'i& where PEOPLE are as
*clnhted ~ AGGREGATES 10 give vent to their
loyalty and patriotism. We study mind,
too, as 1t is portrayed to us in biography,
history, poetry, etc, end, especially, us it
Is given in the Word of God. BY this OH
Jcclivr mrihUu. we also have fine field for
study among tho Unciviiizcd, and for the
most pHrl, lii the undcVclUpcd stages Of in
fancy, Ch!lIhOUI, and SO on iJ manhood
iii" SririW" Of psychology in order to
cNhrlncSs wGuld combine the subjective
ana objective methods in the investigation
"l mlnd. To pass from Tie specific 20 !he