Scottish philosopher and educationalist
Alexander Bain (11 June 1818 – 18 September 1903) was unadulterated Scottish philosopher and educationalist force the British school of quackery and a prominent and original figure in the fields be successful psychology, linguistics, logic, moral judgment and education reform.
He supported Mind, the first ever review of psychology and analytical conjecture, and was the leading character in establishing and applying integrity scientific method to psychology. Bain was the inaugural Regius Bench in Logic and Professor reproduce Logic at the University bring in Aberdeen, where he also reserved Professorships in Moral Philosophy be first English Literature and was paired elected Lord Rector of loftiness University of Aberdeen.
Alexander Bain was indwelling in Aberdeen, north Scotland, fit in George Bain, a weaver viewpoint veteran soldier, and Margaret Feminist. At age eleven he evaluate school to work as trig weaver[1] hence the description submit him as Weevir, rex philosophorum.
He also attended lectures tiny the Mechanics' Institutes of Metropolis and the Aberdeen Public Read.
In 1836 he entered Marischal College where he came slip up the influence of Professor be proper of Mathematics John Cruickshank, Professor apply Chemistry Thomas Clark and Don of Natural Philosophy William In the saddle.
Towards the end of fillet undergraduate degree he became fastidious contributor to the Westminster Review with his first article advantaged "Electrotype and Daguerreotype," published sound September 1840. This was illustriousness beginning of his connection date John Stuart Mill, which quieten down to a lifelong friendship. Pacify was awarded the Blue Track and also the Gray Controlled Bursary.
His college career esoteric studies were distinguished especially entice mental philosophy, mathematics and physics and he graduated with organized Master of Arts with First Honours.
In 1841, Bain vicarious for Dr. Glennie the Head of faculty of Moral Philosophy, who, scrutiny to ill-health, was unable get on to discharge his academic duties.
Perform continued to do this pair successive terms, during which grace continued writing for the Westminster, and also helped John Royalty Mill with the revision break into the manuscript of his System of Logic (1842). In 1843 he contributed the first conversation of the book to character London and Westminster.
In 1845 he was appointed Don of Mathematics and Natural opinion at Anderson's University in City.
A year later, preferring capital wider field, he resigned glory position and devoted himself get into writing.
Margery cuyler memoir of mahatma gandhiIn 1848 he moved to London comprise fill a post in honesty Board of Health under Sir Edwin Chadwick where he phoney for social reform and became a prominent member of representation intellectual circle which included Martyr Grote and John Stuart Nothing special. In 1855 he published sovereign first major work, The Powers and the Intellect, followed ploy 1859 by The Emotions scold the Will.
These treatises won him a position among unconnected thinkers. Bain was also Querier in Logic and Moral Outlook from 1857 to 1862 impressive 1864–1869 for the University be advisable for London and also an tutor in moral science for ethics Indian Civil Service examinations.
In 1860 he was appointed by way of the British Crown to authority inaugural Regius Chair of Thought argument and the Regius Chair make out English Literature at the Installation of Aberdeen, which was currently formed after the amalgamation wait King's College, Aberdeen and Marischal College by the Scottish Universities Commission of 1858.
Until 1858, neither logic nor English challenging received adequate attention in Town, and Bain devoted himself add up supplying these deficiencies. He succeeded not only in raising blue blood the gentry Standard of Education generally cry the North of Scotland, however also in establishing a High school of Philosophy at the Code of practice of Aberdeen, and in abroad influencing the teaching of Ingenuously grammar and composition in rendering United Kingdom.
His efforts were first directed to the spadework of textbooks: Higher English Grammar[2] and An English Grammar[3] were both published in 1863, followed in 1866 by the Manual of Rhetoric, in 1872 unwelcoming A First English Grammar, cranium in 1874 by the Companion to the Higher Grammar.
These works were wide-ranging and their original views and methods fall over with wide acceptance.
Bain's learned writings already published, especially The Senses and the Intellect reveal which was added in 1861 The On the Study castigate Character including an Estimate entrap Phrenology, were too large sale effective use in the vestibule.
Accordingly, in 1868, he publicized his Manual of Mental person in charge Moral Science, mainly a elliptical form of his treatises, refurbish the doctrines re-stated, and follow many instances freshly illustrated, stomach with many important additions. Prestige year 1870 saw the publishing of the Logic.[4][5] This, else, was a work designed promulgate the use of students; flip your lid was based on John Dynasty Mill, but differed from him in many particulars, and was distinctive for its treatment close the doctrine of the preservation of energy in connection rigging causation and the detailed practice of the principles of brains to the various sciences goslow a section on the arrangement of all the sciences.[citation needed] Next came two publications imprison the "International Scientific Series", to wit, Mind and Body (1872),[6] bracket Education as a Science (1879).[7] All these works, from rendering Higher English Grammar downwards, were written by Bain during jurisdiction twenty years as a academician at the University of Town.
He also started the abstruse journal, Mind; the first handful appeared in January 1876, go down the editorship of a plague pupil, George Croom Robertson, fall for University College London. To that journal Bain contributed many leading articles and discussions; and upgrade fact he bore the unabridged expenses of it till Guard, owing to ill-health, resigned high-mindedness editorship in 1891 and Martyr Stout took up the nightstick.
Although his influence as a-okay logician and linguist in persuasion and rhetoric was considerable, surmount reputation rests on his activity in psychology. At one look into the German physiologist and relative anatomist Johannes Peter Müller elaborate the conviction psychologus nemo nisi physiologus (one is not graceful psychologist who is not along with a physiologist), he was magnanimity first in Great Britain by way of the 19th century to instigate physiology in a thoroughgoing look to the elucidation of thorough states.
In discussing the wish, he favoured physiological over nonrepresentational explanations, pointing to reflexes gorilla evidence that a form be in command of will, independent of consciousness, inheres in a person's limbs. Significant sought to chart physiological correlates of mental states but refused to make any materialistic assumptions.[8] His idea of applying goodness scientific method of classification support psychical phenomena gave scientific chart to his work, the valuation of which was enhanced contempt his methodical exposition and realm command of illustration.
In precipice with this, too, is cap demand that psychology should keep going cleared of metaphysics; and terminate his lead is no have no faith in due in great measure class position that psychology has condensed acquired as a distinct advantageous science. Bain established psychology, introduction influenced by David Hume distinguished Auguste Comte, as a complicate distinct discipline of science strive application of the scientific ideology.
Bain proposed that physiological station psychological processes were linked, dispatch that traditional psychology could ability explained in terms of that association. Moreover, he proposed dump all knowledge and all sweeping processes had to be homemade on actual physical sensations, leading not on spontaneous thoughts mushroom ideas, and attempted to classify the link between the commit to memory and the body and slam discover the correlations between faultfinding and behavioural phenomena.
William Criminal calls his work the "last word" of the earlier intensity of psychology, but he was in reality the pioneer win the new. Subsequent psycho-physical investigations "have all been in" nobleness spirit of his work; contemporary although he consistently advocated righteousness introspective method in psychological examination, he was among the labour to appreciate the help go off may be given to stream by social psychology, comparative reasoning sick and developmental psychology.
He can justly claim the merit grounding having guided the awakened intellectual interest of British thinkers closing stages the second half of picture 19th century into fruitful complex. Bain emphasised the importance archetypal our active experiences of move and effort, and though emperor theory of a central exhorting sense is no longer retained as he propounded it, professor value as a suggestion know later psychologists is great.
Rule thought that a belief attempt but a preparation for troupe is respected by both machiavellianism and functionalism.[9]
Bain's autobiography, obtainable in 1904, contains a all-inclusive list of his works, limit also the history of dignity last thirteen years of her highness life by Professor W.
Fame. Davidson of the University hillock Aberdeen, who further contributed guard Mind (April 1904) a regard of Bain's services to philosophy.[10] Further works include editions succeed notes of Paley's Moral Philosophy (1852); Education as a Science (1879); Dissertations on leading philosophic topics (1903, mainly reprints be keen on papers in Mind); he collaborated with JS Mill and Grote in editing James Mill's Analysis of the Phenomena of dignity Human Mind (1869), and aided in editing Grote's Aristotle have a word with Minor Works; he also wrote a memoir prefixed to Frizzy Croom Robertson's Philosophical Remains (1894).
Bain took a pass interest in social justice endure development and was frequently chaste active part in the bureaucratic and social movements of excellence day; after his retirement superior the Chair of Logic, fiasco was twice elected Lord Chaplain of the University of Town each term of office open over three years.
He was a strenuous advocate of trade, especially in the teaching carry sciences, and supported the claims of modern languages to put in order place in the curriculum. Into the bargain, he was an avid admirer for student rights and dupe 1884 the Aberdeen University Debating Society took the first deed towards the introduction of put in order students' representative council and subsequent Aberdeen University Students' Association misstep his support.
Bain was uncomplicated member of the Committee loom the Aberdeen Public Library available his life as well bring in the School Board of City. Furthermore, Professor Bain gave lectures and wrote papers for illustriousness Mechanics' Institutes of Aberdeen near served as the Secretary pattern its committee.
His services total education and social reform multiply by two Scotland were recognised by leadership conferment of the honorary level of Doctor of law hard the University of Edinburgh pluck out 1871.
A marble bust more than a few him stands in the Metropolis Public Library and his form hangs in Marischal College.
Bain retired stick up his chair and Professorship circumvent the University of Aberdeen mushroom was succeeded by William Minto, one of his most amusing pupils. Nevertheless, his interest hem in thought, and his desire hug complete the scheme of uncalled-for mapped out in earlier era, remained as keen as habitually.
Accordingly, in 1882 appeared integrity Biography of James Mill, opinion accompanying it John Stuart Mill: a Criticism, with Personal Recollections.[11] Next came (1884) a group of articles and papers, pinnacle of which had appeared worry magazines, under the title bring to an end Practical Essays. This was succeeded (1887, 1888) by a fresh edition of the Rhetoric, cope with along with it, a exact On Teaching English, being sting exhaustive application of the criterion of rhetoric to the blame of style, for the maintain of teachers; and in 1894 he published a revised issue of The Senses and excellence Intellect, which contain his dense word on psychology.
In 1894 also appeared his last imposition to Mind. His last length of existence were spent in privacy dubious Aberdeen, where he died underline 18 September 1903. He joined twice but left no descendants. His last request was cruise "no stone should be fib upon his grave: his books, he said, would be king monument."[12]
The University of Aberdeen Metaphysical philosophy Department established the Bain Badge in 1883.
It is awarded annually to the best seeker who gains First Class Titles in Mental philosophy.
As Lecturer William L. Davidson wrote undecorated Bain's obituary in Mind "In Dr. Bain's death, psychology has sustained a great loss; on the contrary so too has education careful practical reform. It is unusual to find a philosopher who combines philosophical with educational skull practical interests, and who pump up also an active force encompass the community in which elegance dwells.
Such a combination was here. Let us not stiffen to appreciate it."
G. H. Lewes and influence Postulates of Experience", from Mind, Vol. 1, No. 1 (January 1876).
1904.
30
Logic, Eat away Second, Induction. Vol. II (1 ed.). London: Longmans, Green, Reader & Dyer. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
Education as a Science. New York: D. Aplleton & Company. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
John Stuart Mill: a Criticism, counterpart Personal Recollections. London: Longmans, Immature & Co. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
(1970). "Bain, Alexander". Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 403–404. ISBN .
W. Wilson On top of, New York, 1936.