Modern French Philosophy: a Study of the Development Since ComteGunn, John Alexander
Philosophy
Modern French Philosophy: a Study of the Development Since Comte
Gunn, John Alexander
Philosophy, French; Philosophy, Modern
[8] By Charcot (1825-1893), _Leçons sur les Maladies du Système
nerveux faites à la Salpêtrière_ and _Localisation dans les Maladies
du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière_, 1880.
By Ribot (1839-1916), _Hérédité, Etude psychologique_, 1873, Eng.
trans., 1875; _Les Maladies de la Mémoire, Essai dans la
Psychologie positive_, 1881, Eng. trans., 1882; _Maladies de la
Volonté_, 1883, Eng. trans., 1884; _Maladies de la Personnalité_,
1885, Eng. trans., 1895. Ribot expressed regret at the way in which
abnormal psychology has been neglected in England. See his critique
of Bain in his _Psychologie anglaise contemporaine_. In 1870 Ribot
declared the independence of psychology as a study, separate from
philosophy. Ribot had very wide interests beyond pure psychology, a
fact which is stressed by his commencing in 1876 the periodical _La
Revue philosophique de la France et de l’Etranger_.
By Binet (1857-191!), _Magnétisme animal_, 1886; _Les Altérations
de la personnalité_, 1892; _L’Introduction à la Psychologie
expérimentale_, 1894. He founded the review _L’Année psychologique
in 1895_.
By Janet (Pierre), born 1859 now Professeur at the Collège de France,
_L’Automatisme psychologique_, 1889; _Etat mental des Hystériques_,
1894; and _Neuroses et Idées-fixes_, 1898. He founded the _Journal de
Psychologie_.
By Paulhan, _Phénomenes affectifs and L’Activité mentale_.
To the fame of the Paris School of Psychology must now be added that of
the Nancy School embracing the work of Coué.
The War and the subsequent course of events in France seemed to deepen
the sadness and pessimism of Taine’s character. He described himself as
_naturellement triste_, and finally his severe positivism developed
into a rigorous stoicism akin to that of Marcus Aurelius and Spinoza.
This attitude of mind coloured his unfinished historical work, _Les
Origines de la France contemporaine_, upon which he was engaged for the
last years of his life (1876-1894). It may be noticed for its bearing
upon the study of sociological problems which it indirectly encouraged.
Just as Taine had regarded a work of art as the product of social
environment, so he looks upon historical events. This history bears all
the marks of Taine’s rigid, positive philosophy, intensified by his
later stoicism. The Revolution of 1789 is treated in a cold and stern
manner devoid of enthusiasm of any sort. He could not make historical
narrative live like Michelet, and from his own record the Revolution
itself is almost unintelligible. For Taine, however, we must remember,
human nature is absolutely the product of race, environment and
history.[9]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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