16 Questions
What did Herbart liken ideas to?
Leibniz's monads
What is the term used to describe Herbart's system of how ideas interact with each other?
Psychic mechanics
Why did Herbart deny that psychology could become an experimental science?
Because experimentation necessitates dividing up the subject matter
What is the reason why Herbart opposed faculty psychology?
Because it divided the mind into separate faculties
What is the term used to describe the collection of ideas that are compatible with a person's existing knowledge and experiences?
Apperceptive mass
According to Herbart, what happens to ideas that are incompatible with a person's apperceptive mass?
They are stored in the unconscious mind
What is the main difference between Herbart's view of ideas and the empiricists' view?
Herbart believed ideas had a life of their own, while empiricists believed they were buffeted by external forces
What did Herbart agree with the empiricists on?
That ideas were derived from experience
What is the apperceptive mass, according to Herbart?
A group of compatible ideas that gather in consciousness
What is the primary goal of reviewing previously learned material, according to Herbart's educational advice?
To create a receptive apperceptive mass
What happens when an incompatible idea tries to enter the apperceptive mass?
The ideas in the apperceptive mass mobilize their energy to prevent the idea from entering
What is the significance of Herbart's concept of limen in the development of psychology?
It was crucial to Gustav Fechner's psychophysics
What is the result of presenting new material that is not compatible with a student's apperceptive mass?
The student will likely not understand the new material
What did Herbart's efforts to quantify mental phenomena ultimately encourage?
The development of experimental psychology
Who is considered the founder of psychology as a separate scientific discipline?
Wilhelm Wundt
What did Herbart's theory of apperceptive mass suggest about the process of learning?
Learning is an active process that involves the interaction of ideas
Study Notes
Johann Friedrich Herbart's Theories
- Herbart likened ideas to Leibniz's monads, considering them to have energy and consciousness of their own.
- According to Herbart, ideas strive for consciousness, and those compatible with a person's apperceptive mass are given conscious expression.
- Incompatible ideas remain below the limen in the unconscious mind.
Herbart's Views on Psychology
- Herbart believed psychology could be a mathematical science, as mental phenomena could be expressed mathematically.
- He disagreed with Kant, arguing that psychology could not be an experimental science because experimentation would require dividing the mind, which acts as an integrated whole.
- Herbart opposed faculty psychology, which was popular in his time, due to its focus on dividing the mind.
Psychic Mechanics
- Herbart described the struggle between ideas to gain conscious expression as "psychic mechanics."
- Ideas have the power to attract or repel each other, depending on their compatibility.
Apperceptive Mass
- The apperceptive mass is a group of compatible ideas that gather in consciousness.
- It is equivalent to attention, containing all ideas to which we are currently attending.
- Ideas outside the apperceptive mass compete with each other to enter, with incompatible ideas being excluded.
Educational Psychology
- Herbart is considered the first educational psychologist.
- He applied his theory to education, offering advice to teachers on how to present new material to students.
- His approach emphasized reviewing previous material, preparing students for new material, and relating new material to previous learning.
Legacy
- Herbart's work influenced Gustav Fechner and Wilhelm Wundt, contributing to the development of psychology as a scientific discipline.
- His concept of limen was crucial to the development of psychophysics.
Explore the theories of Johann Friedrich Herbart, a German philosopher and psychologist, on the nature of ideas, consciousness, and the mathematization of psychology.
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