Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) was regarded by the Victorians as the foremost philosopher of the age, the prophet of evolution at a time when the idea had gripped the popular imagination. Until recently Spencer's posthumous reputation rested almost excusively on his social and political thought, which has itself frequently been subject to serious misrepresentation. But historians of ideas now recognise that an acquaintance with Spencer's thought is essential for the proper understanding of many aspects of Victorian intellectual life, and the present selection is designed to answer this need. It provides a cross-section of Spencer's works from his more popular and approachable essays to a number of the volumes of the Synthetic Philosophy itself. Volume IV: The Principles of Psychology.
Volume IV: The Principles of Psychology. PART I.-GENERAL ANAI,YSIS. I. A Datum Wanted II. The Universal Postulate. III. Its Corollaries . IV. Our Present Position PART II.-SPECIAL ANALYSIS. I. Compound Quantitative Reasoning II. Compound Quantitative Reasoning (continued) III. Imperfect and Simple Quantitative Reasoning IV. Quantitative Reasoning in General V. Perfect Qualitative Reasoning VI. Imperfect Qualitative Reasoning VII. Reasoning in General . VIII. Classification, Naming, and Recognition IX. The Perception of Special Objects X. The Perception of Body as presenting Dynamical, Statico-dynamical, and Statical Attributes XI. The Perception of Body as presenting Statico-dynamical and Statical Attributes XII. The Perception of Body as presenting Statical Attributes XIII. The Perception of Space XIV. The Perception of Time XV. The Perception of Motion XVI. The Perception of Resistance XVII. Perception in General XVIII. The Relations of Similarity and Dissimilarity XIX. The Relations of Cointension and Non-cointension XX. The Relations of Coextension and Non-coextension XXI. The Relations of Coexistence and Non-coexistence 302 XXII. The Relations of Connature and Non-connature XXIII. The Relations of Likeness and Unlikeness XXIV. The Relation of Sequence XXV. Consciousness in General XXVI. Results . PART II1.-GENERAL SYNTHESIS. I. Method II. Connection of Mind and Life III. Proximate Definition of Life IV. The Correspondence between Life and its Circumstances V. The degree of Life varies as the degree of Correspondence VI. The Correspondence as Direct and Homogeneous VII. The Correspondence as Direct but Heterogeneous VIII. The Correspondence as extending in Space IX. The Correspondence as extending in Time X. The Correspondence as increasing in Speciality. XI. The Correspondence as increasing in Generality XII. The Correspondence as increasing in Complexity XIIL The Co-ordination of Correspondences XIV. The Integration of Correspondences XV. The Correspondences in their Totality • PART IV.-SPECIAL SYNTHESIS. I. The Nature of Intelligence II. The Law of Intelligence III. The Growth of Intelligence IV. Reflex Action V. Instinct VI. Memory VII. Reason VIII. The Feelings IX. The Will
Biography
Herbert Spencer
