The author attempts to present psychology from such a point of view that it may become a technique for the social sciences. The point of view which, in his opinion, will give this value to psychology is that of the instincts. The author undertakes the difficult task of determining the instincts and their derivatives in the human animal, using three criteria. These are the identity of a type of activity with one that is to be found in lower forms, the appearance of the activity as a dominant process in pathological cases, and the presence of a specific emotion which he assumes must accompany each instinct as such. The most important feature of this analysis of the author, in the mind of the reviewer, is that it makes the ultimate unit an act rather than a state of consciousness. All consciously formed habits are regarded as in a sense derivatives of these instincts and servants of them. All the motive power of conduct is found in them.
"The present Introduction to Social Psychology represents an attempt at a more synthetic type of treatment of the field than has ordinarily been given. It seems to the writer that the time has arrived when "schools" of social psychology may properly be regarded as obsolete and the subject as a whole may be presented systematically. In a sense social psychology overlaps a very large portion of social science and of psychology and education. In this respect it is central to all psychological and social science disciplines. This fact necessarily renders the content of social psychology voluminous. It is no longer possible to treat this subject adequately in small compass. The text-books which have so far appeared, although for the most part excellent from their several viewpoints, are nevertheless but partial treatments. So notably true is this that there exists a marked controversy as to what properly constitutes social psychology. In Part I of this volume an attempt has been made to bring this controversy into relief for the purpose of enabling the reader to see the subject as a whole. Originally the writer intended to publish this volume in five parts to make the synthetic treatment more pronounced. But the length of the volume as thus planned was prohibitive and it was decided to change the plan somewhat. The synthetic character of the treatment has been retained, but the detailed presentation of the process of the development of personality and of self and social consciousness has been reserved for a second volume. The present volume treats the subject from the standpoint of the more objective factors which integrate the personality and its responses in a social environment. Throughout it has been the intention of the writer, not only to make the treatment complete in itself, but to keep the presentation on such a level that the volume can be used successfully as a second book in social theory, following directly upon the introductory course in sociology in departments sociology. If the approach to the social sciences is a psychological one, the organization of this volume should make it available as an introduction to the first course in sociology, economics, politics, and more advanced courses in history and literature, in those departments which care to use it in this way. That social psychology will ultimately be regarded as a necessary introduction to the several social sciences and the literatures can scarcely be doubted. While the present volume is intended for undergraduate students, it is hoped that it may also be used profitably in more advanced courses in combination with the more extended treatment of the subjective aspects of personality development later to be published"--Preface. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).
Finally available, a high quality book of the original classic edition of Human Nature and Conduct - An introduction to social psychology. It was previously published by other bona fide publishers, and is now, after many years, back in print. This is a new and freshly published edition of this culturally important work by John Dewey, which is now, at last, again available to you. Get the PDF and EPUB NOW as well. Included in your purchase you have Human Nature and Conduct - An introduction to social psychology in EPUB AND PDF format to read on any tablet, eReader, desktop, laptop or smartphone simultaneous - Get it NOW. Enjoy this classic work today. These selected paragraphs distill the contents and give you a quick look inside Human Nature and Conduct - An introduction to social psychology: Look inside the book: pg 018 Courses of action which put the blame exclusively on a person as if his evil will were the sole cause of wrong-doing and those which condone offense on account of the share of social conditions in producing bad disposition, are equally ways of making an unreal separation of man from his surroundings, mind from the world. ...To content ourselves with pronouncing judgments of merit and demerit without reference to the fact that our judgments are themselves facts which have consequences and that their value depends upon their consequences, is complacently to dodge the moral issue, perhaps even to indulge ourselves in pleasurable passion just as the person we condemn once indulged himself. About John Dewey, the Author: Dewey's most significant writings were 'The Reflex Arc Concept in Psychology' (1896), a critique of a standard psychological concept and the basis of all his further work; Democracy and Education (1916), his celebrated work on progressive education; Human Nature and Conduct (1922), a study of the function of habit in human behavior; The Public and its Problems (1927), a defense of democracy written in response to Walter Lippmann's The Phantom Public (1925); Experience and Nature (1925), Dewey's most 'metaphysical' statement; Art as Experience (1934), Dewey's major work on aesthetics; A Common Faith (1934), a humanistic study of religion originally delivered as the Dwight H. ...While some psychology historians consider Dewey more of a philosopher than a bona fide psychologist, the authors noted that Dewey was a founding member of the A.P.A., served as the A.P.A.'s eighth President in 1899, and was the author of an 1896 article on the reflex arc which is now considered a basis of American functional psychology.
Excerpt from An Introduction to Social Psychology Since this volume is designed to promote this change of practice, it is fitting that it should Open with a brief inquiry into the causes of the anomalous state of affairs at present Obtaining and with some indication of the way in which it is hoped that the change may be brought about. For there can be no question that the lack Of practical recognition of psychology by the workers in the social sciences has been in the main due to its deficiencies, and that the only way of establishing it in its true place is to make good these deficiencies. What, then, are these deficiencies, and why have they so long persisted? We may attempt very brie y to indicate the answers to these questions without presuming to apportion any blame for the long continuance Of these deficiencies between the professed psychologists and the workers in the social. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."
