The Sciences Of Man In The Making

International Library of Psychology Philosophy and Scientific Method The Sciences of Man in the Making The Sciences of Man in the Making AN ORIENTATION BOOK BY EDWIN A. KIRKPATRICK, M. Pn. AUTHOR OF GRNKTIC PSYCHOLOGY, THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE MAKING, FUNDAMENTALS OK SOCIOLOGY, ETC. LONDON KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER CO., LTD. BROADWAY HOUSE 68-74 CARTER LANE, E. G. 1932 PREFACE FROM a mountain-top the significant features of an extensive region may be seen better than when one is exploring a single forest or plain. Excursions into various parts, however, give a clearer understanding of what has been viewed from the mountain top. To present S. complete geography of mans nature and activities in a single volume is impossible. To give abstracts only, would be uninteresting and useless. The author makes no claim to universal knowledge, but assumes to act merely as a guide in revealing some of the general truths regarding man and his place in nature, and in illustrating the methods of research employed in the various sciences of man. Without the use of extended description, exact definition, or technical terms, he hopes to give a fairly clear concept of each of these sciences, the investigations by which they are being developed, and their relationship to each other. In most of the chapters the aim is to give in an untechnical yay, some of the interesting and useful truths that have been revealed by mans study of himself individually and collectively while in the first chapter and in the selected researches following each of the chapters, the intention is to give an idea of scientific methods and the ways in which they are being used to study human nature and behaviour. For several decades theauthor has been gleaning in many fields for his personal satisfaction in getting a broad basis for understanding human conduct. When recently he decided to organize the results of this reading into a book of the type just described, he first wrote what seemed to him most significant in the various fields then studied the recent literature to make sure that his presentation was in accord with the truths accepted by scientists of today and later spent considerable time in selecting examples of research to vl PREFACE illustrate the scientific methods being used in each field. It was difficult to find studies that were typical, non-technical, and brief enough to be used in a book of this kind. In psychology the abundance of material made selection par ticularly hard while in such subjects as economics and sociology, objective studies, though not so numerous, were frequently long and technical. It is the authors desire that the book be useful to intelligent men and women in, and outside of institutions of learning. Having been prepared by one man this book has the advantage of greater unity of treatment than is possible in books written by several specialists. It is hoped that the chapters on the relations of science to ethics and religion will assist in orienting the readers who are questioning whether conflict is inevitable. The references given at the close of each chapter have been carefully selected from recent literature giving facts rather than theories. The author is under deep obligation to scientists and publishers who have so kindly given permission to quote from articles and books, and to his wife, whose literary judgment and library training have been constantly helpful. E. A.K. December 1931. CONTENTS CHAPTER I NATURE AND METHODS OF SCIENCE PAGE VARIETIES OF KNOWLEDGE ...... i SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE NOT ABSOLUTE AND UNCHANGE ABLE ........ 3 PURE AND APPLIED SCIENCES ..... 7 RELIABILITY OF KNOWLEDGE AND SCIENTIFIC METHODS 9 SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN BEINGS . . 12 SUBJECTIVE FACTS AND SCIENCE . . . . 16 SELECTED RESEARCHES DOWNING Elements and Safeguards of Scientific Thinking 19 SUGGESTED READINGS ....... 23 CHAPTER II MAN AS AN INHABITANT OF THE EARTH MANS IMPORTANCE ....... 24 PHYSICAL ENDOWMENT ...... 25 MENTAL NATURE ........