W.E.A.

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 180, 2 August 1938, Page 2

W.E.A.

INTERESTING LECTURE An interesting discussion was pro voked by the second lecture on Psychology in the Theosophical Hall. Mr. C. J. Adcock, M.A., Dip.Soc.Se., took as his subject “The Mind in Action,” and opened by saying that there was some doubt as to what mind was. For the introspectionist schools it was something opposed to matter and the working out of the relationship of the two entities presented a rather pretty problem. Psychologists of the behaviourist schools on the other hand asserted that mind did not exist and by way of emphasising their case refused the name for psychology in favour of “anthroponomy” in America, 41 reflexology ” and “higher nervous activity” in Russia. For these schools thought was but suppressed laryngeal activity. The majority of psychologists, however, refused to accept either of the extreme views and preferred to steer a middle course under the flag of psycho physical parallelism or other similar theory. Of the existing schools, the speaker was inclined favour that of dialectical materialism, which had some things in common with his own theory. This school, like the materialists proper, made matter fundamental, but it was a somewhat different matter. For them sensation was the internal state of matter in motion. Sensation they considered just as fundamental an attribute as motion. They believed, too, that in achieving more complex organisation, matter gained something which it had not had before and while they were prepared to accept the idea that thought might be analysed into molecular and chemical action in the brain, such an analysis would not tell the whole story. Whether ono accepted this theory or not, it seemed one could best proceed in psychology by considering that what we call mental is a definite aspect of bodily activity.

Mr. Adcock then went on to consider typical examples of the mind in action, first in the case of a stentor, secondly in the case of an ape, and finally in man himself. In man the speaker distinguished three typical stages. First that of the reflex as in blinking; secondly that of instinct as when one reacted to an insulting remark by knocking a man down; and thirdly rational action which also was motivated by instinct but not by the single instinct which happened to be stimulated by the immediate circumstances. The whole system of instincts operated in the light of insight. Insight was the essence of intelligent behaviour. The speaker showed how it depended upon the twin factors of association and organisation. Association as the basis of memory was an old idea in psychology but the factor of organsiation had been rather neglected until recent times. With the aid of diagrams the lecturer illustrated somo of the recent work done in Germany in this connection.

After a lengthy discussion the meeting concluded with a vote of thanks moved by the chairman, Mr. F. J. Lewin.