The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-10-10

Under the direction OF the pastor,
the Rev. DR.. Riker, training school
has been established at the Fourth
Street NJ. L. Church in psychology,
ethics aud Bible study, The course Of
study covers thirty-six weeks, and it is
intended to be exhaustive. The first
lecture was delivered by G. W. Akin
con, Ph.D., on psychology, last evening.
Mr.. Atkinson exhibited thorough
understanding Of the subject. After
his graduation from college he devoted
three years of post graduate course to
the investigation of philosophy in all
OF its branches. This enabled him to
take up psychology at this time with
out very great effort.
lie began his lecture by explaining
the definition of psychology and giving
the meanings OF mind and soul As laid
down by the ablest writer's on the sub
iect, including such masters as Sir
William Hamilton, Sully, Haven, Hop
kins and McCosh.
His fret proposition was that the
soul-faculties are made known to US
through consciousness; and he then
defined consciousness to be the know
ing Of ones own thoughts or mental
operations, or Of what passes in ones
own mind. When we speak OF mind,
we mean that power which we possess
rs rational beings that consists Of
thoughts, feelings and acts OF the will.
The seat OF the mind is doubtless in the
brain, and yet 1t is not material sub
stance like the brain. He asserted that
mind and soul are one and the same,
hut he was inclined to the opinion that
spirit differs materially from both Of
them. Soul differs from spirit as the
species differ from the genus; that soul
il limited to u spirit that either is or
has been connected with body, or
material organism, while spirit, on the
other hand, may be applied to a being
that has no such connection, or is be-
lieved never to have had any; that the
spirit OF man is the essence OF the soul
that refined, divine part OF man
which is immortal and eternal.
He next discussed the Bible doctrine
OF "Trichotomy," viz. that man has a
triple nature OF body, soul and spirit.
He took the Hebrew words translated
"breath OF lie" and Giving soaP in
Genesis. second chapter and seventh
verse, and showed that they he'd en-
tircly different meanings, and also
proved from various quotations from
the Old and New Testanents that soul
and spirit were not the same. lie as
serted that some OF the lower animals
have minds or intellects, and, as mind
and soul are the same, they therefore
have souls; but these souls, he claimed,
are animal souls, aud are perishable;
while spirit, possessed alone by man, Is
eternal.
He discussed at considerable length
the subject of thoughts and feelings,
proving that the soul thinks and feels
and wills the same as the mind, and
that this clearly proves that mind and
soul are identical. II the mind is total
" negative and quiescent while we are
in a dreamless sleep, may we not infer,
that so far as all OF its vital powers and
functions are concerned, it is uncontroi-
able and dead when the body dies that
contains it. And If this is true, is it
not also true that the mind, which is
seated in the brain, is animal and ma
terial, and that it, ofnecessity, perishes
with the brain and the animal and
material part OF man?
The lecturer then showed the differ
ence between metaphysics, anthropo-
logy, physiology and psychology, and
claimed that the latter is the sort OF all
sCinnces that relate to man,
The lecture occupied an hour in its
delivery, and was carefully listened by
q class OF about fifty young gentlemen
and ladies, and by a goodly number OF
persons, who do not belong to the class.