The New York herald., 1922-05-21


which contains incidentally the best
summing up perhaps ever made of
the traits that underlay Munster
berg's real services to science.
Whose theories in psychology
have any definite value to-day?
No ones! Their only use is to
sharpen further reflection and OBJ
servation. The man who throws
out most new ideas and imme-
diately seeks to subject them to
experimental control is the most
useful psychologist in the present
state of the science. No one has
done this yet as we'll as you. If
you are only flexible toward your
theories. and as ingenious in test
ing them hereafter as you have
been hitherto, will back you to
beat the whole army of your crit
les before you are 40 years old.
In the following February, there
came from Prof. James the first ten
tative invitation to take charge of
the Psychological Laboratory at
Harvard University, for an expert
mental period of three years. Mum
sterberg received the suggestion in
the spirit of great adventure; with
the result that August, 1892, saw
the young German and his equally
enthusiastic young wife safely in
stalled in an old colonial house un-
der the shadow of the Harvard elms.
1t would be difficult to imagine a
more congenial soil in which a rest
less, brilliant, enthusiastic spirit like
Munsterberg might come to frui-
ton. The spirit within the philo-
sophical department was, as the au-
thor rightly says, unique. In the
words of Prof. George F. Moore, who
writes the preface to this volume:
Palmer, James. Royce, Mum
sterberg and, little later, San
tayana made such a constellation
as no American university has
seen, or may perhaps see again in
our time. They were men of
widely diverse types; fundamen-
tally different philosophers and
opposite ways of approaching all
philosophical problems were rep
resented among them. In
fact, they agreed on little else
than freedom to disagree, and in
their generous admiration and af-
fection for one another. into this
circle Munsterberg come
in 1892 to have enjoyed
the fellowship. the esteem, the af-
fection of such colleagues was the
greatest distinction. as it must
have been the greatest satisfac-
ton of his life.
For more than a year Munster
berg was too distrustful of his Eng
lish to lecture in it. In February,
1894, he broke the ice by giving his
first English lecture at Radcliffe
College-where by strange coinci-
dence he was destined to give his
last. The years Immediately fol-
lowing were years of steady growth
Harvard offered him permanent
professorship, and was willing to
wait two years for his decision, a
period of which he fully availed him.
self, with characteristic indecision.
In 1897 came a call to Oxford, with
much stress laid on the greater near
ness to Germany. and greater leis-
ure for writing. But the life at
Cambridge and the interests and
aspirations of Harvard had laid their
hold upon him and the call to Ok
ford was declined.
III.
In 1899 Munsterberg was made
chairman of the philosophical de-
partment at Harvard. In 1904 he
came into prominence at the Worlds
Fair, held in st. Louis, through the
adoption of his plan defining the
general scope of the International
Congress of Arts and Science. held
there September IA, 1904. A year
later, in March, 1905, Munsterberg
accepted an invitation to speak at
the Cosmopolitan Club of Detroit;
and his theme was by request pres
entation of the substance of his
then new book, "The Americans"
OF the aftermath of this address his
writes as follows: