Perché l'uomo prova paura, rabbia, simpatia o appartenenza? E come queste emozioni plasmano la società in cui vive?In questo classico fondativo della psicologia moderna, William McDougall esplora la natura profonda del comportamento umano, mostrando come gli istinti e le emozioni siano alla base di ogni relazione sociale: dalla cooperazione al conflitto, dall'imitazione alla suggestione, fino alla formazione delle masse e delle istituzioni.Con linguaggio chiaro e sorprenden...

"The Group Mind: A Sketch of the Principles of Collective Psychology" by William McDougall explores the dynamics of collective behavior and the psychological principles that govern group interactions. McDougall delves into how individual thoughts and actions are influenced by the collective mindset, emphasizing the importance of social psychology in understanding human behavior. He argues that groups possess a mind of their own, which can lead to phenomena such as mob mentality and collect...

The Group Mind: A SKETCH OF THE PRINCIPLES OF COLLECTIVE PSYCHOLOGY WITH SOME ATTEMPT TO APPLYTHEM TO THE INTERPRETATION OF NATIONAL LIFE AND CHARACTER By William McDougall. LATE FELLOW OF ST JOHN’S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, FELLOW OF CORPUS CHRISTI COLLEGE AND WILDE READER IN MENTAL PHILOSOPHY IN THEUNIVERSITY OF OXFORD. “Une nation est une âme, un principe spirituel. Deux choses qui, à vrai dire, n’en font qu’une constituent cette âme, ce principe spirituel. L’une est dans le pas...

In this book I have sketched the principles of the mental life of groups and have made a rough attempt to apply these principles to the understanding of the life of nations. I have had the substance of the book in the form of lecture notes for some years, but have long hesitated to publish it. I have been held back, partly by my sense of the magnitude and difficulty of the subject and the inadequacy of my own preparation for dealing with it, partly because I wished to build upon a firm fou...

This book, first published 1931, examines the attitudes surrounding the natural sciences at the time of writing, and contends that an unreflective belief in the power of science, and especially in humanity’s capacity to turn such knowledge to noble ends, could lead to catastrophic results for human civilisation.Commenting on the forced industrialisation in Russia, India and China that was proceeding with little regard for human life at the time, the unsustainable inequality generat...

Originally published in 1926, a complement to the author’s Outline of Psychology, this book surveys the field of neurotic and mental disorders in so far as they are not due to gross organic lesions. It discusses this principal types of mental process that are abnormal or disorderly in the sense that they are departures from the fully waking processes of the normal mind, seeking to understand them in terms of the general principles laid down in the earlier volume. Sleep, the influe...

Originally published in 1929, McDougall examines the pertinent conflict between religion and science. His work exhibits the failure of scientists to explain human action mechanistically (the essence of modern materialism), establishes purposive action as a type of event radically different from all mechanistic events, and justifies the belief in teleological causation without which there can be neither religion nor morals. This title will be of interest to students of both the Humanities a...

From the Preface: ‘In these few lectures delivered in the University of London (May 1935) I have returned to the always interesting, but generally quite futile, task of criticizing the teachings of Professor Sigmund Freud and his school. On the present occasion my criticisms are made with ruthless frankness, in accordance with the policy I have recently adopted. I have realized too late that I might have done more for my chosen science, had I from the first spoken with a less modest voice....

"The Group Mind: A Sketch of the Principles of Collective Psychology" by William McDougall is a groundbreaking exploration of collective psychology. In this seminal work, McDougall delves into the intricacies of group behavior, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of the principles that govern collective thought and action. Through insightful analysis and engaging prose, McDougall examines the dynamics of group interaction, exploring topics such as crowd behavior, social influenc...

First published in 1927, the preface reads: "It is directed to men and women of goodwill who are not completely satisfied with themselves, who believe that by taking thought they may add, however little, to their moral stature and to their efficiency in working towards whatever goals they may have adopted. The book is an essay in practical morals and is not at all concerned with ethical theories." A fascinating glimpse into psychology and morals from the early twentieth century, including ...

Group Psychology itself consists properly of two parts, that which is concerned to discover the most general principles of group life, and that which applies these principles to the study of particular kinds and examples of group life. The former is logically prior to the second; though in practice it is hardly possible to keep them wholly apart. The present volume is concerned chiefly with the former branch. Only when the general principles of group life have been applied to the understan...

A pioneering work in psychology, this enormously influential book served as a catalyst in the study of the foundations of social behavior. Ironically, its approach marked such a dramatic departure from contemporary trends that it stimulated little follow-up research at the time of its 1908 publication. In recent years, however, the author's ideas have been resurrected in sociobiological reasoning, making the republication of this systematic treatise particularly timely. McDougall's work gr...