The Analysis of Mind by Bertrand Russell A Penn State Electronic Classics Series Publication The Analysis of Mind by Bertrand Russell is a publication of the Pennsylvania State Univer- sity. This Portable Document file is furnished free and without any charge of any kind. Any person using this document file, for any purpose, and in any way does so at his or her own risk. Neither the Pennsylvania State University nor Jim Manis, Faculty Editor, nor anyone associated with the Pennsylvania State University assumes any responsibility for the mate- rial contained within the document or for the file as an electronic transmission, in any way. Put Title Here, the Pennsylvania State University, Electronic Classics Series, Jim Manis, Faculty Editor, Hazleton, PA 18201-1291 is a Portable Document File produced as part of an ongo- ing student publication project to bring classical works of literature, in English, to free and easy access of those wishing to make use of them. Cover Design: Jim Manis Copyright © 2001 The Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University is an equal opportunity university. Contents MUIRHEAD LIBRARY OF PHILOSOPHY .............................................................................................................. 4 PREFACE ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5 THE ANALYSIS OF MIND............................................. 7 LECTURE I. RECENT CRITICISMS OF “CONSCIOUSNESS” ........................................................................... 7 LECTURE II. INSTINCT AND HABIT ................................................................................................................... 29 LECTURE III. DESIRE AND FEELING ................................................................................................................. 41 LECTURE IV. INFLUENCE OF PAST ..................................................................................................................... 54 HISTORY ON PRESENT OCCURRENCES IN LIVING ORGANISMS ............................................................. 54 LECTURE V. PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL CAUSAL LAWS .................................................................. 65 LECTURE VI. INTROSPECTION ............................................................................................................................ 75 LECTURE VII. THE DEFINITION OF .................................................................................................................... 86 PERCEPTION ............................................................................................................................................................. 86 LECTURE VIII. SENSATIONS AND IMAGES ...................................................................................................... 95 LECTURE IX. MEMORY ........................................................................................................................................ 109 LECTURE X. WORDS AND MEANING .............................................................................................................. 131 LECTURE XI. GENERAL IDEAS .......................................................................................................................... 149 AND THOUGHT ....................................................................................................................................................... 149 LECTURE XII. BELIEF ........................................................................................................................................... 161 LECTURE XIII. TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD ....................................................................................................... 177 LECTURE XIV. EMOTIONS AND WILL ............................................................................................................. 196 LECTURE XV. CHARACTERISTICS OF MENTAL PHENOMENA ................................................................. 201 Bertrand Russell contribution to the History of Modern Philosophy under The Analysis of the heads: first of Different Schools of Thought—Sensation- alist, Realist, Idealist, Intuitivist; secondly of different Sub- jects—Psychology, Ethics, Aesthetics, Political Philosophy, Mind Theology. While much had been done in England in tracing the course of evolution in nature, history, economics, morals by and religion, little had been done in tracing the development of thought on these subjects. Yet ‘the evolution of opinion is part of the whole evolution’. Bertrand Russell “By the co-operation of different writers in carrying out this plan it was hoped that a thoroughness and completeness 1921 of treatment, otherwise unattainable, might be secured. It was believed also that from writers mainly British and American MUIRHEAD LIBRARY OF PHILOSOPHY fuller consideration of English Philosophy than it had hith- erto received might be looked for. In the earlier series of books An admirable statement of the aims of the Library of Phi- containing, among others, Bosanquet’s “History of Aesthetic,” losophy was provided by the first editor, the late Professor J. Pfleiderer’s “Rational Theology since Kant,” Albee’s “History H. Muirhead, in his description of the original programme of English Utilitarianism,” Bonar’s “Philosophy and Political printed in Erdmann’s History of Philosophy under the date Economy,” Brett’s “History of Psychology,” Ritchie’s “Natu- 1890. This was slightly modified in subsequent volumes to ral Rights,” these objects were to a large extent effected. take the form of the following statement: “In the meantime original work of a high order was being “The Muirhead Library of Philosophy was designed as a produced both in England and America by such writers as Bra- 4 The Analysis of Mind dley, Stout, Bertrand Russell, Baldwin, Urban, Montague, and PREFACE others, and a new interest in foreign works, German, French and Italian, which had either become classical or were attract- This book has grown out of an attempt to harmonize two ing public attention, had developed. The scope of the Library different tendencies, one in psychology, the other in physics, thus became extended into something more international, and with both of which I find myself in sympathy, although at it is entering on the fifth decade of its existence in the hope that first sight they might seem inconsistent. On the one hand, it may contribute to that mutual understanding between coun- many psychologists, especially those of the behaviourist school, tries which is so pressing a need of the present time.” tend to adopt what is essentially a materialistic position, as a The need which Professor Muirhead stressed is no less press- matter of method if not of metaphysics. They make psychol- ing to-day, and few will deny that philosophy has much to ogy increasingly dependent on physiology and external obser- do with enabling us to meet it, although no one, least of all vation, and tend to think of matter as something much more Muirhead himself, would regard that as the sole, or even the solid and indubitable than mind. Meanwhile the physicists, main, object of philosophy. As Professor Muirhead contin- especially Einstein and other exponents of the theory of rela- ues to lend the distinction of his name to the Library of Phi- tivity, have been making “matter” less and less material. Their losophy it seemed not inappropriate to allow him to recall us world consists of “events,” from which “matter” is derived by to these aims in his own words. The emphasis on the history a logical construction. Whoever reads, for example, Professor of thought also seemed to me very timely; and the number of Eddington’s “Space, Time and Gravitation” (Cambridge Uni- important works promised for the Library in the very near versity Press, 1920), will see that an old-fashioned material- future augur well for the continued fulfilment, in this and ism can receive no support from modern physics. I think that other ways, of the expectations of the original editor. what has permanent value in the outlook of the behaviourists H. D. Lewis is the feeling that physics is the most fundamental science at 5 Bertrand Russell present in existence. But this position cannot be called mate- There are a few allusions to China in this book, all of which rialistic, if, as seems to be the case, physics does not assume were written before I had been in China, and are not intended the existence of matter. to be taken by the reader as geographically accurate. I have The view that seems to me to reconcile the materialistic used “China” merely as a synonym for “a distant country,” tendency of psychology with the anti-materialistic tendency when I wanted illustrations of unfamiliar things. of physics is the view of William James and the American new realists, according to which the “stuff” of the world is Peking, January 1921. neither mental nor material, but a “neutral stuff,” out of which both are constructed. I have endeavoured in this work to de- velop this view in some detail as regards the phenomena with which psychology is concerned. My thanks are due to Professor John B. Watson and to Dr. T. P. Nunn for reading my MSS. at an early stage and helping me with many valuable suggestions; also to Mr. A. Wohlgemuth for much very useful information as regards important literature. I have also to acknowledge the help of the editor of this Library