PROFESSOR HUNTER'S PSYCHOLOGY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 153, 24 March 1920, Page 7

PROFESSOR HUNTER'S PSYCHOLOGY

Sir—ln a recent address Professor j Hunter stated (as reported in The Do- i minion of March 18) that "the psycho- j legists looked upon the human. organism > as being -governed by law." Does lie mean -i that the human mind, which is part of ,1 the human organism, is governed by j law? Does he mean that human 'wn- j duct is governed by physical laws of j causation or mechanical operation? If j not. by what law? Who are "the psy- i chologists" referred to? There is moro j than one school of psychologists. i

Professor Hunter's assertion seems to | he in direct conflict with the views of ! '.Mr. Willian) iVl'Dougall, Reader .in Hen- j I till Philosophy in the University of Ox- ! tord. Mr. if Dougall. defines psychology j as the positive science of the behaviour j of living things, and states that when j we £iv that living things exhibit lie- i hnvicur "we mean that they seem to • have an intrinsic power of self-determiu- i ation, and to pursue actively or with | effort t.heij own welfare and their own ends or purposes." He gives certain in- ! stances of human behaviour and asserts 1 fchn't no attempt, to explain such actions i mechanically "has at present" the .least j plausibility or can in any degree aid us j in controlling them." Some .psychologists do assume that all seeminglv pur- i Dosive action is mechanically explicable, j but such an assumption is a daring act-, \ of faith. It is not capable of scientific i proof. Professor Wundt reminds us that experimental psychology is at present in \ such an unfinished state that it has "no universally accepted body of doctrine:" What does Professor Hunter mean by the phrase "governed by law"? Is not this way. of speaking out of date? A great scientist, Professor Poynting. tells •( us i that a: "law of nature explains no- ! thing—it has no governing power: it is - i but a descriptive formula. which the ! careless have sometimes personified." !

It is not unreasonable to expect that,' i our university professors should set an j example in clear thinking; and accurals ! exposition; Even' a professor has no right j to be more dogmatic than known facta i warrant.—l am, etc., • ! ..... NOKMAN E. BURTON. j Auckland, March 20. - ;