BF 141 .B3 Copy 1 xSYCHOLOGY ^ OUR PERCEPTIVE FACULTIES, or WHAT IS IT TO KNOW A THING ? BY 'ir:.>&:^:.im^m Our Boobs* Books that will help teachers in preparing for the state examinations. Cash with order we will mail promptly any of the following books, postage paid. They are well worth your consideration -if you are preparing for an examination. Townsend's 20G0 Practical Problems in Arithmetic preparatory for any examination. Answers in separate book. Both to one address for $ .5o. Townsend^s 1000 Practical examples of Grammatical Analysis' Synthesis and Syntax, being a complete "key" for preparation for any examina- tion in Grammar Avith answers. Ans. in separate book, both to one address, $ .50 Townsend^s 1000 Practical Questions in Geography adapted to any systematic course of study being the best book published to review for an ex- amination. Answers in separate book. Both books mailed to one address for $ .50. 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Shell .B: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. <.\ ." ''I feel." ''I will." This onl}^ can the mind of man do. All sensibility takes rise in the brain. Note. — As the brain is the seat of all sensation and as it is only through sensation or sensations that we are capable of knowing anything ; let us now consider the physical make-up of the brain of man. Nature has been kind to us in giving us definite sense organs — the eyes, ears, fingers, nose, tongue and muscles are the definite sense organs. By careful study the student will readily understand the following: Use your own mind to study your own mind. Think about the thing that does your thinking. ( Organic sensation. Absence of definite sense organs Bbain General . Special These you feel in your stomach, or in your heart— nothing definite. SENSE ORGANS. MEDIUM. 1. Eyes, Ether Vibrat'ns 2. Ears, Air Waves, 3. Hands, Contact, 4. Nose, Contact, 5. Tongue, Contact, 6. Muscles, Contact, SENSES. Sight, Hearing, Touch, Smell, Taste, Muscular, RESULTS. You see. You hear. You feel. You smell. You taste. You feel. TO ILLUSTRATE :— Take the eyes. First comes four physical facts : I St. Exciting cause — Ether vibrations from some external object. 2nd. Their action upon the optic nerve. 3rd. Change in the optic nerve. 4th. Change in the brain. 5th Result — sensation of sight — A mental fact. What is it to Know a Thing? 13 The first four physical facts are so intricate that one is in- capable of noting each change ; but the change takes place nevertheless. Do we all have to learn to see? Yes, just as much as you. have to learn to talk only you are younger when you do it. WHAT IS A SENSE ORGAN? A sense organ is a struc- ture forming the peripheral termination, end-organ of a sensory nerve or group of nerves and is especially differentiated so as to react on a special kind of stimulas. The only exception to this is Touch. DEFINITION OF SENSE. A sense is the aggregate of simple mental facts arising by way of the stimulation of some sense organ. Under Physiological Psychology we have been studying the first great step in the study of the mind — sensation. Before we ever get beyond, in anything, we must realize this truth. All knowledge takes its rise in sensation ; the brain is the fountain head of all that we may ever know, feel, or will, — Know this, ye students. A PHYSICAL FACT is a fact that is known or knowable to a number of persons. In studying the above example We have No. I, 2, 3 and 4 as physical facts but number 5 — the result — SENSATION OF SIGHT IS a mental fact. SENSATION. A sensation is that simple mental fact that under normal circumstances directly follows the last change in the brain in consequence of the stimulation of a sensory nerve. This should be plain to the average student. Study it until you see it clearly. SIGHT. The sense of sight stands by common consent first in the scale of knowledge-giving senses. The sensations of sight are characterized by very fine local differences. HEARING. The sense of hearing ranks high as a know- ledge-giving sense. This is owing to the high degree of de- finiteness of its sensations. In respect both of intensity and of quality, fine differences are recognizable. As a set off against these advantages, hearing has very little local dis- crimination. TOUCH. By the sense of touch is meant the sensations we receive from the contact of bodies with the tactual organ ; these are sensations of contact, pressure or temperature. The sense 14 Our PBRCBt^i'ivK F'acui.tiss, or of touch supplies us with, much more knowledge than the senses of taste and smell. It ranks third. SMELL AND TASTE. These approach the organic sensa- tions in want of definiteness, and the predominance of the element of feeling (pleasure and pain). They determine what is wholesome or unwholesome to the organism as a whole. Their position indicates this, placed as they are at the entrance of the digestive and respiratory cavities. They are of little importance as knowledge giving senses. MUSCULAR SENSE. The muscular sense consists of the sum of simple mental states or sensations which immediately accompany the action of the muscles. Examples : A move- ment of the arm or leg : — an effort to push a heavy body. The muscular sense cannot be classed with the special senses for the reason that the muscular sensations are due not to the actions of external objects like sense impressions bu^ to our OWN actions. Hence they are active states. While sense im- pressions, products of special senses, are passive states. Under the former we have feelings of exertion, muscular sense, etc. EXPLANATORY. 1. Of what does our entire mental life consist? Of know- ing, FEELING and WILLING. 2. Note under physiological psychology the medium used to convey sensations to sensory nerves was contact with the nerves with but two exceptions, the eyes and ears, in the first of these the medium was ether vibrations, in the second, air waves. Both the ether vibration and air waves depend upon motion and by some writers are classed as motion. To illustrate we will take the first and second senses; — A hunter sees his bird and fires, we see the smoke, ether vibra- tions, before we hear the report of his gun, air waves. Why? Because one travels much faster than the other. Again. Do waves of light, ether vibrations travel? We have said that they did. It is said that years would elapse should a bright star in the heavens be blotted out before you would still cease to see the rays of light coming from that star yet the star itself had been gone for years. Every external object is an exciting cause to every optic nerve tha.t is in good working condition. If you close your eyes you see nothing, all the physical facts, external objects, have vanished, all is darkness. Wha'T is It TO Know a I^hing? t$ There is no noise, so to speak, for vibrating air that does not reach an auditory nerve does not produce sound for sound is only produced when there is an auditory nerve in good w^orking condition to hear it. The special sense organs, hands, nose and tongue are so easily explained that we will not dwell upon them. Without some- thing to smell we could not smell, without something to touch we could not feel, without something to taste, we could not taste and halving something to, smell, touch and taste we could do nothing without certain nerves, v/hat are they? There is one step in their great science of psychology that man is not able to trace and that is this, what takes place in the brain directly before we have a sensation ? or having a sensa- tion, why do we have it? Perception^ Perception is the great primal(first) source of knowledge-SuLLY. But the act of perception is momentary, and there would be no enduring knowledge of things if it were not for memory. " What is it to know a thing?" We have said that " all knowl- edge takes its RISE in sensation," but if we should stop with sen- sation we would have no definite knowledge of anything. The senses or sensory nerves stand ready to drink in and produce sensations, but when we become conscious of anything existing apart from ourselves we have passed from the first step, " sensa- tion," to the second step, ''perception." We have perceived that there are many physical facts existing in the external world but we have yet to take one more step before we can call our knowledge definite and. complete. This third and last step in the process of " what is it to know a thing," is conception, and will be treated upon in our next lesson. To perceive is to GROUP sensations. If we have sensations by way of the eye, then we immediately have visual perception. If we have sensations by way of the ear, then we immediately have auditory perception. If our hands come in contact with some external object, then we immediately have tactual perception. And so with the other senses. That is, we are immediately made conscious that there are other things in this world, other than ourselves, and as we grow older we obtain a knowledge of these external things. If our senses are normal, we will have correct perception ; we will i6 Our PKRCEP'riv:^ F'ACui.TiE^s, or perceive many things and form many percepts. We will call upon other powers of the mind and ' there will spring forth remem- brance or m_emory. Every percept will make some impression on this great gift of mankind and we shall soon know when we see the same thing the second time and there will be formed in our mind a mental picture that will always remain with us. What is perception and what is its product ? — Answer. It is the act, power, or process of perceiving or obtaining a knowledge of external things, through the only means we have, senses. The product of perception is called a percept. What is image. It is a mental picture of a past percept. To perceive, is to group sensations together and we imme- diately have perception ; as a result of perception we form per- cepts of external things in our mind and with the aid of memory we remember them, and know them' whenever they are called up again by our sensations. The reason why many students who study this subject — Men- tal Science — fail to thoroughly comprehend the subject is be- cause of the conditions imposed by the writers of certain books. When we take up this suDJect we are of mature age, we have made many discoveries in this great world by and through the very processes that we try to explain in these pages, but if the student would stop and think he would soon recognize the three great processes of the mind — Sensation, Perception and Con- ception. Now in order to have any defi.nite knowledge of things we must be able to classify the things that are new to us. We soon become able to distinguish between the kingdom of things — Animal, Vegetable and Mineral, but this is only a small part of the work that stands awaiting the faithful student. You meet something growing out from the ground and you immediately exclaim: ''What a pretty flower." Yes you have passed through the three great processes of the mind, sensations by way of the eye, resulted in a percept — perception, — and it not being the first of the kind that you have experienced you took the next step — Conception which classified it. That is you put it into its proper class, and yet let us go further, every fiower has a name, do you know its name? This is definite knowledge. REVIEW. PSYCHOLOGY is the science of mental facts. MENTAL FACTS are products of the mind or soul. What is it to Know a Thing? 17 A MENTAL FACT is n fact known or knowable to but one person and that the person experiencing it. The mind does nothing but know, feel and will. '' I know." " I feel." " I will." This only can the mind of m.an do. All sensibility takes rise in the brain. SENSATION. — A sensation is that simple mental fact that directly follow the last change in the brain in consequence of the stimulation of a sensory nerve. PERCEPTION might be called that process of the mind which interprets our sensations. NOTE. — By careful study the student will readily understand the following. It illustrates the first two acts of your mental life in what is it to know a thing. ACT I. Sensation. Note. — The following is true using any one of the five senses. 1. Exciting cause — (some external ob- ject. ) 2. Action upon the nerve. 3. Change in the nerve. 4. Change in the brain. ACT IL Perception. The product of perception is a percept. 1. We must be conscious of definite sensations. 2. We must group these sensations with images of sensations already ex- 5. Result — And we have a sensation.^ pei'ienced. 3. We must think of these sensations as qualities of objects having a more or less definite position in space Note. — i, 2, 3 and 4 are physical facts antecedents to a Sensation. A Physical Fact is a fact that is known or knowable to any number of persons, yet it may be so delicate and in- tricate that a person is unable to see it ; as in the four above examples. It is a physical fact, nevertheless . 4. Result. — A percept, newly exper- ienced or a recall of a past percept. Note. — In order to reach a percept the mind must take these three steps. Conception* The product of conception is a concept. A concept is formed by means of an inspection of individuals or things. — Sully. And might be defined as a '' bundle of percepts." Conception is that act of the mind by which it forms an idea of a class or that act of the mind that enables us to use general names intelligently.— Gordy, The child's first knowledge of external things is very vague and confusing. He struggles with the sense organs nature has given him and soon passes through the first two acts in ' ' what is it to know a thing?" The child soon learns to know individuals, persons and things. Then he soon has a mental picture of a class, and in time, many classes. 1 8 Our Pkrckp'Tivk Facui^tiks, or From his knowledge of individuals — persons and things — he gains by comparison, abstraction and generalization, the class to which a person or thing belongs. As a result he has performed the third act in ' * what is it to knov/ a thing?" and has conception — definite knowledge. '' Everything put into its proper class." Conception. — Class. — The sensations from some external object resulted in a percept — several percepts resulted in a con- cept — and we said it was a '' chair." Again: Have 3/ouseen my new lamp? Sensations by way of ear resulted in percepts — percepts aided by memory and our mental picture of the class referred to resulted in a concept. Our conception of v/hat his new lamp is like, is rather vague, as yet, for Vv^e have not seen this individual lamp, but we do knov/ the class — lamp. What is a mental picture of a class? A. We have said that a class consisted of a collection of individuals resembling each other in certain particulars. Now a mental picture of a class is the mental image that the child has of any particrJar class, and might be termed "composite." When I say " horse" you ivcx- mediately have a mental picture of that class but of no particu- lar horse. What does the child learn first, class or individuals? A. The first knoAvledge of things external is not of class but of individ- ual things. You cannot know class until you know the individ- uals that may constitute the class. What is comparison? A. When you fix your '^attentions" upon two or more objects at the same time and "compare" them one with the other, as to their likeness or unlikeness. What is abstraction? When you withdraw your attention from several objects and concentrate your whole mind upon one object or some one of its parts. What is generalization ? When you generalize and conclude that such and such person or things should go into such and such classes, and carry a general name. — The student should note that the mind perceives resemblances more easily than differences. What three acts constitute conception? A. Comparison, ab- straction and generalization. Again. What new power of the mind has, as it were, sprung into being? A. Attention. Without attention assisted by " I will," the " will," the act of " what is it to know a thing?" " I Whai' is i'T to Know a Thing ? 19 know," would be feeble, and hence forth "attention," plays one of the most important parts in our mental life. He who gives attention, learns. There is no genius but " attention." A healthy mind in a healthy body can accomplish almost anything backed tip by a strong " I will " and ''attention." The true teacher cultivates this power of the mind, " attention " in her pupils but she can unlock the door of " interest " and there will spring forth a desire on the part of the pupil that will create in them a thirst for knowledge that will rival attention, and will remain with them always. REVIEW QUESTIONS. NOTE: When you have mastered this little book you can answer any question here asked readily. Try it. It's a matter of "attention" and "will." 1. Where does all knowledge take its rise? 2. What is mind? 3. Define Psychology. 4. What is a mental fact? 5. What is a physical fact? 6. How many senses have we? 7. Name each sense organ ;the medium used;the sense ;result. 8. Illustrate your answer. 9. Name the two divisions of organs. 10. Which are nearer the brain, "special" or "general?" 11. Define the following: sense organ; sensation; sight; sense; hearing; touch; smell; taste; muscular sense. How does the sixth sense differ from the other five? 12. Of what does our entire mental life consist? 13. What is perception and what is it product? 14. What is it to know a thing? 15. When do we have visual perception? Auditory perception? Tactual perception ? 16. What is image? 17. What power of the m^ind aids us in perception? 18. Give the four steps in sensation. 19. Give the three steps in perception. 20 Our Pkrckptive Facui^tiks, or 2 0. What is conception and what is its product? 21. What does the child soon learn? 22. After he becomes acquainted with individuals what does he soon acquire? 23. How does he gain conception? 24.. What is a mental picture of a class? 25. Which does the child learn first, class or individuals? 26. Define : comparison ; abstraction ; generalization. 27. What three acts constitute conception? 28. What new power of the mind has sprung into being? 29. What makes the boy a great and successful man? Ans. The '-will," and "attention," if other powers of the mind are rightly directed. 30. What is interest? Illustrate your answer. ALTEMUS' YOUNG PEOPLE'S LIBRARY, • Bound in Linen''''''Silver Edition, A new series of choice literature for children, selected irom the best and most popular works. HandsomeJy printed on fine super-calendered paper from largre clear type and profusely illustrated by the most famous art- ists, making the handsomest and most at- tractive series of juvenile classics be- fore the public. With beautifully colored lithog^raphic frontispieces. 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