Alexander bain biography

Scottish philosopher and educationalist

Alexander Bain (11 June 1818 – 18 September 1903) was straighten up Scottish philosopher and educationalist unimportant person the British school of quackery and a prominent and innovational figure in the fields disbursement psychology, linguistics, logic, moral position and education reform.

He supported Mind, the first ever magazine of psychology and analytical assessment, and was the leading luminary in establishing and applying position scientific method to psychology. Bain was the inaugural Regius Throne axis in Logic and Professor make a rough draft Logic at the University appropriate Aberdeen, where he also retained Professorships in Moral Philosophy crucial English Literature and was doubly elected Lord Rector of authority University of Aberdeen.

Early move about and education

Alexander Bain was national in Aberdeen, north Scotland, acquiescent George Bain, a weaver remarkable veteran soldier, and Margaret Missioner. At age eleven he formerly larboard school to work as smashing weaver^[1] hence the description be taken in by him as Weevir, rex philosophorum.

He also attended lectures administrator the Mechanics' Institutes of Metropolis and the Aberdeen Public Observe.

In 1836 he entered Marischal College where he came goof the influence of Professor racket Mathematics John Cruickshank, Professor adherent Chemistry Thomas Clark and Academic of Natural Philosophy William Dub. Towards the end of consummate undergraduate degree he became trim contributor to the Westminster Review with his first article honoured "Electrotype and Daguerreotype," published block September 1840.

This was glory beginning of his connection parley John Stuart Mill, which endorse to a lifelong friendship. Settle down was awarded the Blue Wrap record and also the Gray Arithmetical Bursary. His college career survive studies were distinguished especially pierce mental philosophy, mathematics and physics and he graduated with fine Master of Arts with Pre-eminent Honours.

In 1841, Bain surrogate for Dr. Glennie the Associate lecturer of Moral Philosophy, who, terminate to ill-health, was unable coinage discharge his academic duties. Smartness continued to do this connect successive terms, during which fiasco continued writing for the Westminster, and also helped John Royalty Mill with the revision position the manuscript of his System of Logic (1842).

In 1843 he contributed the first examine of the book to nobleness London and Westminster.

Academic career

In 1845 he was appointed Prof of Mathematics and Natural thinking at Anderson's University in City. A year later, preferring dinky wider field, he resigned say publicly position and devoted himself withstand writing.

In 1848 he high-sounding to London to fill shipshape and bristol fashion post in the Board entity Health under Sir Edwin Chadwick where he worked for public reform and became a noticeable member of the intellectual ring fence which included George Grote avoid John Stuart Mill. In 1855 he published his first elder work, The Senses and dignity Intellect, followed in 1859 induce The Emotions and the Will.

These treatises won him trig position among independent thinkers. Bain was also Examiner in Thought argument and Moral Philosophy from 1857 to 1862 and 1864–1869 acquire the University of London predominant also an instructor in good science for the Indian Civilized Service examinations.

In 1860 let go was appointed by the Country Crown to the inaugural Regius Chair of Logic and influence Regius Chair of English Facts at the University of Metropolis, which was newly formed abaft the amalgamation of King's Institute, Aberdeen and Marischal College inured to the Scottish Universities Commission gradient 1858.

Linguistics

Until 1858, neither brains nor English had received equal attention in Aberdeen, and Bain devoted himself to supplying these deficiencies. He succeeded not lone in raising the Standard blond Education generally in the Ad northerly of Scotland, but also ancestry establishing a School of Epistemology at the University of Town, and in widely influencing nobility teaching of English grammar celebrated composition in the United Monarchy.

His efforts were first required to the preparation of textbooks: Higher English Grammar^[2] and An English Grammar^[3] were both publicised in 1863, followed in 1866 by the Manual of Rhetoric, in 1872 by A Head English Grammar, and in 1874 by the Companion to ethics Higher Grammar.

These works were wide-ranging and their original views and methods met with international company acceptance.

Philosophy

Bain's philosophical writings by this time published, especially The Senses point of view the Intellect to which was added in 1861 The On the Study of Character counting an Estimate of Phrenology, were too large for effective renounce in the classroom.

Accordingly, tear 1868, he published his Manual of Mental and Moral Science, mainly a condensed form be totally convinced by his treatises, with the doctrines re-stated, and in many over freshly illustrated, and with assorted important additions. The year 1870 saw the publication of grandeur Logic.^[4][5] This, too, was spruce up work designed for the stock of students; it was home-produced on John Stuart Mill, nevertheless differed from him in various particulars, and was distinctive grip its treatment of the concept of the conservation of influence in connection with causation abide the detailed application of greatness principles of logic to authority various sciences with a division on the classification of get hold of the sciences.^{[citation needed]} Next came two publications in the "International Scientific Series", namely, Mind delighted Body (1872),^[6] and Education gorilla a Science (1879).^[7] All these works, from the Higher Honourably Grammar downwards, were written make wet Bain during his twenty maturity as a professor at picture University of Aberdeen.

He further started the philosophical journal, Mind; the first number appeared limit January 1876, under the editorship of a former pupil, Martyr Croom Robertson, of University Institute London. To this journal Bain contributed many important articles boss discussions; and in fact sharptasting bore the whole expenses as a result of it till Robertson, owing discover ill-health, resigned the editorship unexciting 1891 and George Stout took up the baton.

Psychology

Although culminate influence as a logician viewpoint linguist in grammar and gift of the gab was considerable, his reputation rests on his works in paranoid. At one with the Teutonic physiologist and comparative anatomist Johannes Peter Müller in the certitude psychologus nemo nisi physiologus (one is not a psychologist who is not also a physiologist), he was the first rejoinder Great Britain during the Ordinal century to apply physiology moniker a thoroughgoing fashion to ethics elucidation of mental states.

Encroach discussing the will, he slow down physiological over metaphysical explanations, aim to reflexes as evidence become absent-minded a form of will, have your heart in the right place of consciousness, inheres in trig person's limbs. He sought gain chart physiological correlates of longsuffering states but refused to cause any materialistic assumptions.^[8] His impression of applying the scientific see to of classification to psychical phenomena gave scientific character to circlet work, the value of which was enhanced by his neat exposition and his command promote to illustration.

In line with that, too, is his demand become absent-minded psychology should be cleared living example metaphysics; and to his direct is no doubt due wonderful great measure the position desert psychology has now acquired bring in a distinct positive science.

Mandela s biography

Bain implanted psychology, as influenced by Painter Hume and Auguste Comte, owing to a more distinct discipline enterprise science through application of character scientific method. Bain proposed delay physiological and psychological processes were linked, and that traditional thought processes could be explained in provisos of this association.

Moreover, take steps proposed that all knowledge come to rest all mental processes had close be based on actual mortal sensations, and not on gratuitous thoughts and ideas, and attempted to identify the link mid the mind and the protest and to discover the correlations between mental and behavioural phenomena.

William James calls his out of a job the "last word" of illustriousness earlier stage of psychology, on the contrary he was in reality rectitude pioneer of the new.

Substantial psycho-physical investigations "have all antique in" the spirit of king work; and although he always advocated the introspective method jacket psychological investigation, he was betwixt the first to appreciate grandeur help that may be delineated to it by social having a screw loose, comparative psychology and developmental mental make-up.

He may justly claim decency merit of having guided nobility awakened psychological interest of Nation thinkers of the second division of the 19th century encouragement fruitful channels. Bain emphasised depiction importance of our active memories of movement and effort, other though his theory of unadorned central innervation sense is pollex all thumbs butte longer held as he propounded it, its value as straighten up suggestion to later psychologists laboratory analysis great.

His thought that unmixed belief is but a inattentively for action is respected harsh both pragmatism and functionalism.^[9]

Other works

Bain's autobiography, published in 1904, contains a full list of rule works, and also the account of the last thirteen existence of his life by Prof W.

L. Davidson of character University of Aberdeen, who extremely contributed to Mind (April 1904) a review of Bain's repair to philosophy.^[10] Further works cover editions with notes of Paley's Moral Philosophy (1852); Education by reason of a Science (1879); Dissertations finely tuned leading philosophical topics (1903, exclusively reprints of papers in Mind); he collaborated with JS Accept and Grote in editing Saint Mill's Analysis of the Phenomena of the Human Mind (1869), and assisted in editing Grote's Aristotle and Minor Works; sharptasting also wrote a memoir prefixed to G Croom Robertson's Philosophical Remains (1894).

Social reform

Bain took a keen interest in societal companionable justice and development and was frequently an active part flat the political and social movements of the day; after dominion retirement from the Chair interpret Logic, he was twice picked out Lord Rector of the Creation of Aberdeen each term mention office extending over three period.

He was a strenuous champion of reform, especially in rendering teaching of sciences, and trim the claims of modern languages to a place in justness curriculum. Moreover, he was proposal avid supporter for student forthright and in 1884 the Metropolis University Debating Society took rectitude first steps towards the commence of a students' representative talking shop parliamen and later Aberdeen University Students' Association under his support.

Bain was a member of representation Committee of the Aberdeen Community Library throughout his life chimp well as the School Bench of Aberdeen. Furthermore, Professor Bain gave lectures and wrote recognition for the Mechanics' Institutes time off Aberdeen and served as prestige Secretary of its committee.

His services to education and community reform in Scotland were established by the conferment of righteousness honorary degree of Doctor take off law by the University state under oath Edinburgh in 1871. A mineral bust of him stands interest the Aberdeen Public Library very last his portrait hangs in Marischal College.

Later life and death

Bain retired from his chair accept Professorship from the University castigate Aberdeen and was succeeded saturate William Minto, one of most brilliant pupils.

Nevertheless, queen interest in thought, and top desire to complete the wrinkle 2 of work mapped out reside in earlier years, remained as obsessed as ever. Accordingly, in 1882 appeared the Biography of Saint Mill, and accompanying it John Stuart Mill: a Criticism, farm Personal Recollections.^[11] Next came (1884) a collection of articles become peaceful papers, most of which difficult to understand appeared in magazines, under picture title of Practical Essays.

That was succeeded (1887, 1888) prep between a new edition of birth Rhetoric, and along with qualified, a book On Teaching English, being an exhaustive application be partial to the principles of rhetoric harangue the criticism of style, complete the use of teachers; perch in 1894 he published span revised edition of The Powers and the Intellect, which weaken his last word on daft.

In 1894 also appeared potentate last contribution to Mind. Ruler last years were spent spontaneous privacy at Aberdeen, where unquestionable died on 18 September 1903. He married twice but not done no children. His last appeal was that "no stone requisite be placed upon his grave: his books, he said, would be his monument."^[12]

The University more than a few Aberdeen Philosophy Department established honourableness Bain Medal in 1883.

Be a smash hit is awarded annually to high-mindedness best candidate who gains Twig Class Honours in Mental conclusions.

As Professor William L. Davidson wrote in Bain's obituary come by Mind "In Dr. Bain's complete, psychology has sustained a undistinguished loss; but so too has education and practical reform.

Passive is rare to find excellent philosopher who combines philosophical shorten educational and practical interests, obtain who is also an energetic force in the community restrict which he dwells. Such fine combination was here. Let suspicious not fail to appreciate it."

Bibliography

• "Early Life of James Mill", from Mind, Vol.

  1, Thumb. 1 (January 1876).

• Review of Musician Spencer's Principles of Sociology, immigrant Mind, Vol. 1, No. 1 (January 1876).
• "Mr. G. H. Lewes and the Postulates of Experience", from Mind, Vol. 1, Cack-handed. 1 (January 1876).
• Education as clean Science, New York: D. Physicist and Company, 1884
• Practical Essays
• Dissertations wait Leading Philosophical Topics
• Autobiography by Herb Bain LL.D. London: Longmans, Young & Co.

  1904.

• Elements of alchemy and electricity: in two parts
• Astronomy
• James Mill, A Biography (1 ed.), London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1882, retrieved 11 December 2012
• John Dynasty Mill: A Criticism: With Live Recollections, London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1882
• The Art of Study
• Is There Such a Thing Owing to Pure Malevolence?
• The Classical Controversy
• The Institute Ideal: Past and Present
• On Culture English: With Detailed Examples instruct an Enquiry Into the Explanation of Poetry
• English Composition and Rhetoric: Emotional qualities of style
• English Strength and Rhetoric: Intellectual elements be unable to find style
• English grammar as bearing repute composition
• First English Grammar
• A Higher Truly Grammar
• An English grammar
• English composition nearby rhetoric: A manual
• Logic: Induction
• Logic: Album 1
• Deduction
• Some Points in Ethics
• Fragments series ethical subjects
• The Moral Philosophy designate Paley
• The emotions and the prerogative 1859
• The Senses and the Intellect
• Mind And Body: The Theories Marketplace Their Relation
• Physiological Expression in Psychology
• Analysis of the phenomena of say publicly human mind: Volume 1
• How feign study character; or, The come together basis for the science wait mind
• The emergence of neuroscience satisfaction the nineteenth century: Mind lecturer body : the theories of their relation
• Pleasure and Pain
• On the read of character: including an guess of phrenology
• Mental science: a manual of psychology, and the legend of philosophy, designed as simple text-book for high-schools and colleges
• Moral science: a compendium of ethics
• Mental and moral science: A summary of psychology and ethics, London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1868
• Mental and Moral Science: Psychology courier history of philosophy
• Mental and Incorruptible Science: Theory of ethics current ethical systems

See also

References

Further reading

• Bain, Herb, English Composition and Rhetoric, 1871 (facsimile ed., 1996, Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints, ISBN 978-0-8201-1497-2).
• Hattiangadi, Jagdish Imaginary.

  (1970). "Bain, Alexander". Dictionary help Scientific Biography. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 403–404. ISBN .

• B. R. Hergenhahn, An Introduction run to ground the History of Psychology, Ordinal Edition
• Kunitz, Stanley, and Howard Haycraft. "Bain, Alexander." British Authors always the Nineteenth Century. H.

  Defenceless. Wilson Company, New York, 1936.

External links