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Toward an Understanding of Jonathan Edwards' Psychological Theory, and an Assessment of His Place in the History of American Psychology

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Toward an Understanding of Jonathan Edwards' Psychological Theory, and an Assessment of His Place in the History of American Psychology University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Doctoral Dissertations Student Scholarship Summer 1974 GRACIOUS DISCOVERIES: TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF JONATHAN EDWARDS' PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY, AND AN ASSESSMENT OF HIS PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGY JAMES GEORGE BLIGHT Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation Recommended Citation BLIGHT, JAMES GEORGE, "GRACIOUS DISCOVERIES: TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF JONATHAN EDWARDS' PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY, AND AN ASSESSMENT OF HIS PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGY" (1974). Doctoral Dissertations. 1055. https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/1055 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the original submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or patterns which may appear on this reproduction. 1. The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Missing Page(s)". If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting thru an image arid duplicating adjacent pages to insure you complete continuity. 2. When an image or. the film is obliterated with a large round black mark, it is an indication that the photographer suspected that the copy may have moved during exposure and thus cause a blurred image. You will find a good image of the page in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., was part of the material being photographed die photographer followed a definite method in "sectioning" the material. It is customary to begin photoing at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue photoing from left to right in equal sections with a small overlap. If necessary, sectioning is continued again — beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. The majority of users indicate that the textual content is of greatest value, however, a somewhat higher quality reproduction could be made from "photographs" if essential to the understanding of the dissertation. Silver prints of "photographs" may be ordered at additional charge by writing the Order Department, giving the cataicgnumber, title, author and specific pages you wish reproduced. 5. PLEASE NOTE: Some pages may have indistinct print. Filmed as received. Xerox university microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 74-27,976 BLIGHT, James George, 1946- GRACIOUS DISCOVERIES: TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF JONATHAN EDWARDS' PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY, AND AN ASSESSMENT OF HIS PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGY. University of New Hampshire, Ph.D., 1974 Psychology, general University Microfilms. A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. GRACIOUS DISCOVERIES: TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF JONATHAN EDWARD5' PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY, AND AN ASSESSMENT OF HIS PLACE IN THE HI5T0RY OF AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGY by JAMES G. BLIGHT AoB., University of Michigan, 1970 M„A., University of New Hampshire, 1973 A THESIS Submitted to the University of New Hampshire In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate 5chool Department of Psychology August, 1974 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This thesis has been examined and approved. ■D {AJcU- Ls~\ Thesis director, Robert I. Watson, Prof. of Psychology . COLd. Charles E. Clark, Asso. Prof. of History Rand B. Evans, Asso. Prof. of Psychology George Mx/HI si e ru'd, Prof. Emeritus of Psychology Orlo 5trunk, Jr., Pro£^of J^ychology of Religion, Boston University 24 . 197? Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many years ago Dorothy Parker summarized the dilemma of most writers. "I hate to write," she said, "but I love to have written." For me writing is a mostly tedious, lonely, exasperating endeavor, replete with false starts, dead-ends and illogical middles. Writing history, in essence, is mind- to-data combat with the inherent absurdity of infinite infor­ mation: a tale of more or less successful attempts to impose a coherent, compelling, and appealing scheme onto some small aspect of the record of human experience. Writing itself is hardly a labor of love; it is labor, period0 It can bring into full bloom some of an indi­ vidual's most perverse characteristics. In my case, and my closest associates and family members will fully concur with this, the writing of this dissertation has helped transform me from a part-time to near full-time grump, preoccupied star-gazer, insecure neurotic, insomniac, and cat-kicker. It can lead to a kind of perpetual trance-like state in which involvement with the outer world is viewed as a nuisance. More than a few times my wife and children interrupted my train of thought by inquiring why I was writing a note in my spaghetti sauce, or why I was squeezing my bubble gum and chewing my silly putty. My characteristic response, equally mystifying I am sure, was "Jonathan Edwards, mumble mumble." iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. I was immersed in a consuming intellectual passion, and I would not return from the conceptual never-land until it was done with me, or I with it. It is now done and it is indeed a joy "to have written"; to have harrassed the past with some contemporary concepts; to have tied some diverse ideas together in a tenuous but common perspective. It seems kind of ridiculous to say "thank you" in print to the many people who have helped me complete this dissertation. Some of them won't even read these words. Those who do read them need not be reminded of the enormity of the following ratio: _________ Time spent helping Jim Blight________ Time spent by Jim Blight writing "thank you" I view the following "acknowledgements," therefore, simply as a humbling reminder to myselfof my indebtedness to others. Many individuals have provided a receptive audience for my half-baked historical notions and interests. A1 Raphelson, of the University of Michigan, helped to convince a struggling young undergraduate that the history of psy­ chology might just provide a suitable outlet for his diverse interests. He was right. Alan Heimert of Harvard, Julian Jaynes of Princeton, and David Lyttle of Syracuse University read the prospectus for this project and provided me with a stimulating blend, of encouragement and raised eyebrows. Thomas Shafer of McCormick Theological Seminary not only read the prospectus but offered detailed advice concerning where to look in Edwards for pertinent information and about the iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. general pitfalls of doing research on Edwards. He advised me that for my broad and unorthodox purposes, it would be best to concentrate on Edwards’ published works, as he knew of nothing in Edwards' voluminous, unpublished notebooks which is inconsistent with the psychological doctrine pre­ sented in the published works. Randy Easton, Dick High, George Selement, and Ron Shor, all of the University of New Hampshire, have responded to my ear-bending tactics with nothing but bemused patience and stimulating criticism. The dictionary defines "rough" as "not refined, crude, not carefully or thoroughly worked out." This is an accurate description of the state of my rough draft which was read in its entirety by one of the hardiest groups of pioneers in all academia: Charles Clark, Rand Evans, George Haslerud, Darrett B. Rutman, ,and Robert I. Watson, all of the University of New Hampshire, and Orlo 5trunk of Boston University. For the split infinitives, illogical absurdities, and other smudges which remain in this dissertation, they are blameless. They smoothed it out as best they could. Professor Robert I. Watson has guided this project from its inception. Well, almost. Actually he has guided me as I guided it. At the beginning of our relationship of professor to graduate student, he rightfully regarded me with suspicion— as an unruly renegade who had unfortunately wandered into his ken. "What on earth," I can imagine him asking his delightful wife Hazel, "am I going to _do with that guy?" It is my good fortune that he endured me; he patiently Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. let me work out my problem on my own, mostly, while offering incisive but supportive criticism whenever I asked for it. He is a remarkable man. Without him, the history of psy­ chology would still be little more than a half-cocked hobby, and this small contribution to it simply would not exist. Stephanie Ackerman typed the final version of the dissertation. Efficiency is rare these days and so is a good sense of humor. Steph has both of these in abundance. Could it be that, as Prof. Watson's secretary she honed these traits to a fine edge as a simple survival tactic? An apocryphal story may provide a clue. For a number of years Prof. Watson has been at work producing two definitive, bibliographic volumes: one of primary and the other of secondary references on the five hundred or so most eminent deceased psychologists, from Descartes to the present.
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