Details

Subject(s)

• Apperception [Browse]
• Teaching [Browse]
• Child psychology [Browse]

Related name

• De Garmo, Charles, 1849-1934 [Browse]
• Herbart Club [Browse]

Series

Heath's pedagogical library [More in this series]

Summary note

"While our educational leaders were gathering their psychological ideas from the fireside, so to speak, philosophy and scientific psychology were being wrought out in the closet. The influence of the scientific spirit upon educational doctrines was consequently but slight. There was, however, one of the leading philosophers, John Frederick Herbart, who, foreseeing the need that education would have of scientific treatment from the standpoint of psychology, devoted much of his time to the elaboration of a rational system of pedagogy. Under the influence of his thought, a vigorous school of educational thinkers has arisen in Germany who are known collectively as Herbartians, but who represent within the school somewhat widely varying theories. Among the number, Dr. Lange has perhaps exhibited the happiest combination of popular presentation and scientific insight. His book will interest the simplest and instruct the wisest; for, being on the one side concrete and readable, it is on the other founded on painstaking research, not only in Herbartian, but also in other modern scientific psychology. A prominent merit of Lange is that he shows us the lines along which we must work in order to reach a solution of educational problems requiring this new element of psychology scientifically developed. Not only does he point the way, but he pursues it. He leads us into a fundamental study of the nature, kinds, conditions and significance of apperception; he shows what influence it is to have upon the choice and arrangement of the subject-matter of education; how we can investigate, extend, and utilize the child's store of experience, and how to bring about an adequate union between the growing mind of the child and the subject-matter of instruction through the development of the best methods of teaching; finally, in the Third Part he gives us a masterly survey of the history of the term as explained by Leibnitz, Kant, Herbart, Lazarus, Steinthal and Wundt. One lays down the book, after reading this chapter, with the reflection, that if these men have not said the last word upon apperception, it is still much to have said the first. Believing that this book above all others is best adapted to introduce the young teacher into that realm of educational thought in which the results of modern psychology must henceforth be an indispensable factor, the members of the newly formed Herbart Club collectively offer this translation to their fellow teachers. This book was translated and presented to American teachers by the following-named members of the Herbart Club: Elmer E. Brown, Charles De Garmo, Mrs. Eudora Hailmann, Florence Hall, George F. James, L. R. Klemm, Ossian H. Lang, Herman T. Lukens, Charles P. McMurry, Frank McMurry, Theo. B. Noss, Levi L. Seeley, and Margaret K. Smith." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).

Reproduction note

Electronic reproduction. Washington, D.C. : American Psychological Association, 2013. Available via World Wide Web. Access limited by licensing agreement.

Other format(s)

Also issued in print.

Other title(s)

PsycBOOKS.

Statement on responsible collection description

Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...