| Summary: | "It is always interesting, and frequently useful, in the history of the human intellect, to learn the progress of an invention or discovery, from its origin to its apparent termination. Foremost of the early Profound thinkers as they are called, is the Metaphysician, who groping too deeply among the 'occult causes' and effects of Spirit in the human mind, has been unwilling or unable to retrace, and point-out the confused, and staggering steps, by which he seemed to come at the supposed truths of his fictional system. Mental metaphysicians, though never giving the world a clear, and practical system of the full Art of Thinking, and only differing from one another upon it, have neglected to tell us the manner of beginning and conducting, even their own unsatisfactory efforts; thereby preventing our receiving from this source, the least light, on the causes of their failure. The following method of investigating the mind, from the beginning to the end of its few and simple functions, is conducted on the ground of there being altogether a physical action of the senses and the brain. And however it may appear to others, the Author considers, and will endeavor to show, that the gradual manner in which the mind proceeds with its inquiry into itself, is, so to speak, a gradual application of its physical Working Plan to explain its own physical phenomena. Having preserved the first writing of the suggestions, sketches, observations, hints, doubts, and searching inquiries, as they were originally recorded; and having extended and framed these views to a consistent system, in the following Natural History of the Mind the Author thought, a few Readers might find it interesting, if not useful, to know by what gradual means a new analysis, arrangement, and nomenclature of its phenomena have been gathered from the first and uncertain gropings after order and truth; designing to show how others with more comprehensive views, and with greater penetration, may do better things, by improving on what may here have been done. The old or metaphysical account of the mind being both limited and confused, has only furnished the means for continued disputes; leaving every individual to value his mind, according to his own conceit which merely perpetuates the jealousy and ill-will of a vain and insolent pride. The Author proposes, by his physical description, arrangement, and nomenclature, to enable the individual, without vanity or pride, truly to know his own mind, by the analytic rule of its construction, and working plan; and to apply that universal rule to discriminate the minds of others"--Preface. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).
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