Page:American Journal of Psychology Volume 21.djvu/178



The first six of these pamphlets on applied psychology, edited by Freud himself and written or to be written by various pupils of his, are designed to bring together into one convenient series the characteristic view-points of what is, to the mind of the present writer, by far the most interesting and original line of development which modern psychology has had since the experimental movement began with Wundt. True, the Freud school have based their conclusions chiefly on the study of more or less abnormal cases; but the psycho-analytic method is only a further development of Wundt's association reactions; while the abnormal features by the Freudists, as indeed now by most psychiatrists, are regarded as modifications of the normal, some traits of which are magnified, others suppressed, so that we have simply to look on and see nature experiment. Wundt has always allowed but the smallest range to unconscious psychic processes. For him it is but a very little way from consciousness down to merely physiological processes. This error has been fatal to Wundt's influence among those who deal with every class of mental defectiveness. No psychology can abide that does not stand this perhaps most important of practical tests; and here, by unanimous and reiterated consent of those in or near the Freud camp, Wundt has already signally failed. Those who study mental alienation are drifting farther from him.

In a different way and for different reasons, Kraepelin, too, is being left behind. This writer started from the Wundtian basis and has done signal service for the world by his breaking up of the rigid, old, and the development of new, classifications. He has, however, never succeeded in reaching any very stable equilibrium, as witness the