Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-12
THE HERBART CLUB.

The Herbart club at its last meeting
discussed Psychology in the School
Room" Mr.. A. c. Moore opened the dis
cussion with paper pointing out the
importance of the subject and reviewing
the history of the ehild-study movement.
The Following is a synopsis of his paper:
II psychology is a natural science and
Is subject to the rules of investigation
applied to other natural sciences, it has
an important place In the school room.
Psychology has for a long time been
confused with metaphysics and until
clear distinction is made between them
the former cannot attain to any degree
OF Importance as science Metaphysics
is the branch of philosophy that deals
with the conceptions or principles at
the basis of space, motion, becoming,
change Identity, cause. etc" 1t Is the
philosophy of the ultima nature, causes
or reasons of things Aristotle defines
1t as the theory of substance" 1t is
purely speculative and offers nothing
practical, interesting though 1t may be
to the speculative philosopher who the
crises concerning the origin and destiny
of the soul. Psychology has been vari-
ously defined. According to Professor
Laid, 1t is the description and explana-
ton of states of consciousness as such"
Professor Scripture makes 1t the science
of thinking, feeling, doing" DR.. Noah
Porter says psychology is the science of
the human SOUL. This definition sug-
gests metaphysical questions which
should be excluded. While psychology
must look to metaphysics for its underly-
ing principles just as all other sciences,
for every science has its metaphysics"
the development of the science is not de-
pendent upon the determination of the
principles. We know nothing of the hu-
man soul apart from the bodily organ
N
only in connection with the body.
There are at present two prominent
schools of philosophers-the spiritualists
who are studying distractions, and the
materialists, who are studying brain.
Neither are studying mind. The new
psychology seeks to occupy middle
ground using data furnished by both
these schools. Introspection is the meth
cd of the spiritualists, while the biologi-
cal method of experimentation Is used
by the materialsts. Either of these meth
DDS alone is inadequate. The new psy-
chology uses both. The intimate connec-
ly recognized, and the concordance OF
many mental and physical phenomena
Is established, but this does not necessi-
tate the conclusion that mind Is func-
ton Of brain. Neither can 1t be assert
ed in view of the facts that the mind acts
independently of the brain. Hence the
absolute necessity of studying mind with
and through the body.
All exact science must be based upon
experiment. 1t Is unsafe to draw conclu-
sions from one observation. This diffl-
Guilty stands In the way of the method by
introspection. The new psychology goes
a step further and seeks additional data
by EXPERIMENTATION upon a great numbep
of individuals. DIR. Porter, one of the
most conservative of modern psycholo-
gists, clearly recognizes 1t as natural
science He says; Psychology, in one
aspect, is like all the sciences of nature.
a science of observation, and Is subject TO
those rules of investigation and OF evil
dence which are common to them all.
The growth of experimental methods
has been remarkable. The first laborn-
tory established in Germany was by
Professor Wundt in 1879; the first In this
country was established by DR.. q. stan
ley Hall in 1882. Since that time most OF
the great universities have fallen In line.
Yet, IL the work Is to be restricted to
these laboratories many years will elapse
before psychology will attain to the dig
nifty of science such as chemistry and
physics. The Inauguration of the study
of children bids fair to do wonderful
things for the science. Should the work
be taken up by teachers, such mass of
data could easily be obtained as to war;
rant specialists. after careful examina-
ton of materials to draw conclusions
with some degree of approximation to
truth. All teachers are not expected to
be trained for this work of elaboration,
but great host of them may become
helpers by making and recording obser-
Vations under intelligent leadership. Thus
the introduction of the study of psychol-
ogy into the school room would be dis
tinctive gain to the general science of
psychology.
A further advantage would be the fact
that a thorough understanding of mental
phenomena cannot be attained by the ex-
elusive study of the adult mind. Tho
do daNalnnmpnf of mind In the
child throws much light upon It's fuller
development in the adult. Pedagogy,
which looks to psychology for Its data,
should take into consideration the child
mind
In order to meet these demands the spe-
cial department known as Child study"
has sprung up. The first mention of the
subject in the reports of the National Ed
ucatlonal associa ton is In the report~for
1891 when a round table conference was
conducted by DR.. Hall. The Internatlon-
al Educa ional congress at Chicago in
1893 devoted considerable attention to the
subject and in 1894 the first meeting or
the department of child study of the
National Educational association was
held. The following will illustrate the
kind of work undertaken: Punishment
as Seen by Children" Motor Ability Of
Children" Limitation in Children Chill
dren's Rights as Seen by Themselves"
Eye and Ear Mindedness." Dr. Hall has
pointed out four lines OF child study:
l. The adaptation of work to the minds
of children.
2. Anthropologicsl measurements.
3. Defective children.
4. Health.
Many important pedagogical principles
have been. and many more are yet to be.
derived from the study of such subjects.
The study of eye and ear mindedness will
illustrate this point. The facts adduced
seem to warrant the conclusion that the
child is as susceptible to ear as to eye
impressions. In school his eye minded
ness increases much more rapidly than
his ear mindedness Is this due to our
system of education? Undoubtedly 1t is
Then the determination of the question
whether or not eye mindedness Is desira-
BILE has an important bearing upon our
existing system
Many important questions are before
the educators of today which can only be
settled in the light of child study. Fore
most among them Is the correlation Of
studies. Here we find the Herbartians
strongly opposed by DIR. Harris. the rep
resentative of the Aegelan doctrine. The
Herbartians advocate that solution which
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