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Wilhelm Wundt
38quotes
Wilhelm Wundt
Full Name and Common Aliases
Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt was a German philosopher and physiologist.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on August 16, 1832, in Mannheim, Grand Duchy of Baden (now Germany), Wundt passed away on August 31, 1920, in Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony (now Germany).
Nationality and Profession(s)
German philosopher, physiologist, and psychologist.
Early Life and Background
Wundt was born into a Lutheran family. His father, Maximilian Wundt, was a theologian and a pastor at the St. Martin's Church in Mannheim. Wilhelm's early life was marked by a strong interest in philosophy and science. He attended the University of Tübingen for his undergraduate studies, where he earned a degree in theology and philosophy.
Major Accomplishments
Wundt made significant contributions to several fields, including psychology, philosophy, and physiology. Some of his major accomplishments include:
He is considered the founder of modern scientific psychology due to his establishment of the first formal laboratory for psychology at Leipzig University in 1879.
His work on the field of physiological psychology laid the groundwork for subsequent research into human consciousness and behavior.
Notable Works or Actions
Wundt's most notable works include:
"Principles of Physiological Psychology" (1874) - a comprehensive text that outlined his theories on the relationship between the mind and body.
"Outlines of Psychology" (1896-1920) - an eight-volume work that served as a textbook for students and a reference for researchers.
Impact and Legacy
Wundt's influence on psychology, philosophy, and science is undeniable. His laboratory at Leipzig University became a hub for research in the field of psychology, attracting scholars from around the world. His theories on the mind-body relationship continue to shape contemporary debates in philosophy and psychology.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Wundt's contributions to the development of modern scientific psychology have cemented his place as one of the most important figures in the history of the field. His work continues to be widely read, studied, and referenced today.
Quotes by Wilhelm Wundt
Wilhelm Wundt's insights on:
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The old metaphysical prejudice that man ‘always thinks’ has not yet entirely disappeared. I am myself inclined to hold that man really thinks very little and very seldom.
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There are other sources of psychological knowledge, which become accessible at the very point where the experimental method fails us.
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Psychology must not only strive to become a useful basis for the other mental sciences, but it must also turn again and again to the historical sciences, in order to obtain an understanding for the more highly developed metal processes.
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Experimental psychology itself has, it is true, now and again suffered relapse into a metaphysical treatment of its problems.
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Psychology, on the other hand, seeks to give account of the interconnexion of processes which are evinced by our own consciousness, or which we infer from such manifestations of the bodily life in other creatures as indicate the presence of a consciousness similar to our own.
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Many psychologists ... thought by turning their attention to their own consciousness to be able to explain what happened when we were thnking. Or they sought to attain the same end by asking another person a question, by means of which certain processes of thought would be excited, and then by questioning the person about the introspection he had made. It is obvious ... that nothing can be discovered in such experiments.
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Now the word-symbols of conceptual ideas have passed so long from hand to hand in the service of the understanding, that they have gradually lost all such fanciful reference.
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We know, from ordinary life, that we are not able to direct our attention perfectly steadily and uniformly to one and the same object... At times the attention turns towards the object most intensely, and at times the energy flags.
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Our mind is so fortunately equipped, that it brings us the most important bases for our thoughts without our having the least knowledge of this work of elaboration. Only the results of it become unconscious.
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The old metaphysical prejudice that man 'always thinks' has not yet entirely disappeared. I am myself inclined to hold that man really thinks very little and very seldom.
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