CHAPTER VI. 



THE NATURE OF THE SOUL. 



Fundamental importance of psychology. Its definition and 

 methods. Divergence of views thereon. Dualistic and monistic 

 psychology. Eelation to the law of substance. Confusion of 

 ideas. Psychological metamorphoses : Kant, Virchow, Dubois- 

 Keymond. Methods of research of psychic science. Introspective 

 method (self -observation). Exact method (psycho-physics). Com- 

 parative method (animal psychology). Psychological change of 

 principles : Wundt. Folk-psychology and ethnography : Bastian. 

 Ontogenetic psychology : Preyer. Phylo.ucnetic psychology : 

 Darwin, Eomanes. 



The phenomena which are comprised under the title 

 of the " life of the soul," or the psychic activity, are, 

 on the one hand, the most important and interesting, 

 on the other the most intricate and problematical, 

 of all the phenomena we are acquainted with. As 

 the knowledge of nature, the object of the present 

 philosophic study, is itself a part of the life of the 

 soul, and as anthropology, and even cosmology, 

 presuppose a correct knowledge of the " psyche," we 

 may regard psychology, the scientific study of the 

 soul, both as the foundation and the postulate of all 

 other sciences. From another point of view it is 

 itself a part of philosophy, or of physiology, or of 

 anthropology. 



The great difficulty of establishing it on a naturalistic 

 basis arises from the fact that psychology, in turn, 

 presupposes a correct acquaintance with the human 



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