“In spite of all criticisms, however, Professor Baldwin’s book is an invaluable one to every student of sociology, and it remains, up to the present, the only systematic attempt in the English language to apply modern genetic and functional psychology to the interpretation of social organization and evolution.” Charles A. Ellwood.
“It is a book for students, and should be approached in a purely studious spirit, as the matter will require gradual assimilation and cannot well be hastily scanned.”
+ + =N. Y. Times.= 12: 306. My. 11, ’07. 580w.
=Baldwin, James Mark.= Thought and things: a study of the development and meaning of thought or genetic logic. 3v. v. I. *$2.75. Macmillan.
The first volume treats of “Functional logic” or “Genetic theory of knowledge.” The author looks upon it as “an inductive, psychological, genetic research into the actual movement of the function of thought.”
“We opened this volume in the expectation of an intellectual treat; we close it with a feeling of disappointment.”
+ − =Ath.= 1907, 2: 275. S. 7. 1790w. (Review of v. 1.)
“It is a work of much learning and research, and of very considerable interest.” J. S. Mackenzie.
+ + =Int. J. Ethics.= 17: 265. Ja. ’07. 150w. (Review of v. 1.)
“I cannot see that anything is gained by [his] methodology; on the contrary, I think this method is largely responsible for an excessive complexity of details, a lack of simplicity, directness, clearness and thorough system in the handling of the subject-matter. The other embarrassment I have suffered in reading this book is due to the author’s terminology. I do not make these criticisms without having at the same time a very great willingness to record my fullest appreciation of a notable book, one that cannot fail to add to its author’s already splendid reputation, and one which will enlarge not a little our knowledge in a great field of science.” John E. Russell.
+ − =J. Philos.= 3: 712. D. 20, ’06. 1840w. (Review of v. 1.)
“We will say at once that this is a most earnest, profound, laborious, systematic analysis of cognition, such as cannot fail to be of continual utility to students of psychology. But this does not mean that the work is fundamentally sound; for the imperfection that belongs to all human works necessarily appears in a philosophical doctrine in the form of error.”