Biology / by Patrick Geddes and J. Arthur Thomson.

  • Patrick Geddes
Date:
[1925]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Biology / by Patrick Geddes and J. Arthur Thomson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    fatigues and pains. So even for feeling: since what the most controlled human face may conceal, may be detected, as in the circulation by the plethysmograph. And next, beyond such experimental and physiological psychologists, we have to recognise a further group, increasingly working towards their forcibly-stated goal, of a comprehensive 44 Behaviour-psychology,” and often with progress as little to be ignored as is that of the bio-chemists on their side, however the old vitalists in their day might oppose it with futile protest. With Bio-psychology thus in the ascendant, the old psychology naturally seems to be sinking fast; and its disappearance, despite colours still flying, appears but a question of time, and that the life-expectancy of survivors. Un¬ deniably, behaviourism demolishes more and more of the anthropomorphic interpretations of the old natural history : it is thus more than threatening even our good old dog-friend, with that renewal of Descartes’ automaton view, which one of Huxley’s 44 Lay Sermons ” long ago so clearly recalled. Indeed, most seriously of all, this bio-psychologic automaton view is found increasingly applicable—and is thus vigorously applied—even to many of our human thinkings and doings ; so the older psychology has again and again to give back, and surrender field after field of those it had so long held as secure. At this rate, where is the traditional psyeho- logy, which holds by an inner life, to find any
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