EDITORIAL. 



PSYCHOLOGY AND NEUROLOGY. 



In an earlier number of this fouriial the need has been 

 urged of some category common to the neurologist and psy- 

 chologist in terms of which the problems of neural structure 

 and mental function may be discussed without immediately 

 arousing metaphysical prejudices. Such a category is action or 

 behavior. The former is perhaps the more abstnict concept and 

 hence will lend itself more readily to the discussion of the phil- 

 osophical questions which sooner or later are bound to arise. 

 The latter has the advantage of being a term of popular as well 

 as of scientific usage and is more commonly employed to de- 

 scribe the action of organisms. Mr. Morgan's latest book is 

 entitled "Animal Behavior" and under this term he is success- 

 ful, for the most part, in discussing the actions of organisms 

 without prejudging the nature of the question of the psychical 

 and its relation to the material processes. Likewise Mr. Jen- 

 nings in the valuable article which appeared in the last issue of 

 the /<9«r««/ discusses the behavior of Paramecium in terms of 

 "action-systems" in a way which does not preempt the field for 

 either the mechanical or teleological interpretation of the phe- 

 nomena. Researches carried on in this spirit are greatly needed 

 at the present time. Only thus is it possible to construct a 

 platform whose planks shall consist of facts interpreted in terms 

 of a common technique. 



It is too early in the history of the movement to predict 

 in detail the lines along which the two sciences will get to- 

 gether, but it is safe to say that there will have to be consid- 

 erable revision of working concepts on the part of both neu- 

 rology and psychology. By this is meant that the newer in- 

 sight into the energic nature of matter will in time inevitably 



