BIOLOGY IN HUMAN AFFAIRS 



of character growth. The place of sex enlightenment and 

 the relations of the sexes at all stages is frankly faced. 

 The nursery school has appeared as a direct expression 

 of the foundation of control upon natural development. 

 Learning by doing, creative exercises at all stages, self- 

 government, protection of the child's spontaneity, the 

 avoidance of too much regimentation, the stimulation of 

 individual aptitudes, all enter into the program. 



It becomes apparent that modern psychology has as- 

 sumed its present status by a composite set of advance- 

 ments, partly reflecting those of the general story of science, 

 w^ith its enthronement of logical procedure and refinement 

 of experimental and observational technique, but partic- 

 ularly dependent upon the data and concepts of the col- 

 lateral life sciences — biology, physiology, neurology. It 

 has been equally enriched by the clinical sciences of medi- 

 cine, specifically of psychiatry. Mental abnormalities 

 are of profound significance for normal psychology; they 

 do not stand apart from but are framed in a single picture 

 of the mental life. The extreme departures, w^hether 

 remediable or due to original inadequacy, have naturally 

 claimed the attention of the psychiatrist. But in this 

 reference psychology has given even more than it has 

 received; for within the twentieth century — with sporadic 

 roots in earlier studies — psychiatry has become psychologi- 

 cal. No estrangement seems to our modern insight so illogi- 

 cal as that of the mind in health and the mind in disorder; 

 no rapprochement has been more helpful to both parties 

 in the scientific league of mental studies. The data of ab- 

 normal psychology have always been available, even 

 insistent; the concepts necessary to their understanding 

 were lacking. 



The early interpretation of insanity was demon pos- 

 session, which the medicine man or priest might ex- 

 orcise — though in the face of idiocy he was helpless. 



[70] 



