Carl Stumpf
Encyclopedia
Carl Stumpf was a German
philosopher
and psychologist
.
Born in Wiesentheid
, he studied with Franz Brentano
and Hermann Lotze. He had an important influence on Edmund Husserl
, the founder of modern phenomenology, Max Wertheimer
, Wolfgang Köhler
and Kurt Koffka
, co-founders of Gestalt psychology
, as well as the renowned Austrian novelist Robert Musil
who was his doctoral student. Stumpf is also credited with the introduction in current philosophy of the concept of state of affairs
(Sachverhalt), which was later popularised through Husserl's works. He also formed a panel of 13 eminent scientists, known as the Hans Commission, to study the claims that a horse named Clever Hans
could count. Psychologist Oskar Pfungst
eventually proved that the horse could not really count.
Stumpf was one of the earliest students of Brentano and always remained quite close to his early teachings. He wrote his dissertation under the supervision of Lotze at the university of Göttingen (1868) and also did his habilitation
there (1870). Later in his life he became more and more interested in empirical methods in experimental psychology and effectively became one of the pioneers in this discipline. He held a teaching position in Göttingen, then became a professor at Würzburg
and later at Prague
, Halle, Munich
and finally Berlin
, where he founded the Berlin School
of experimental psychology, which was later to become the base of operation for Gestalt psychology
. Stumpf famously quarreled with Wilhelm Wundt
, then the most prominent figure in German experimental psychology (and by extension, the world), over the psychology of audio
tones
and Comparative musicology. With an Edison cylinder recording he made of a visiting Siamese theater troupe in September 1900, Stumpf founded the Berliner Phonogramm-Archiv
. Stumpf was a good friend and frequent correspondent with the American psychologist and philosopher William James
, who also had issues with Wundt.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
philosopher
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and psychologist
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
.
Born in Wiesentheid
Wiesentheid
Wiesentheid is a municipality in the district of Kitzingen in Bavaria in Germany.-History:First time vouched in 918 as "wisenheida". The Mediatization in 1806 brought former shire Schönborn to grand duchy Würzburg so that in 1814 it belonged to Bavaria again...
, he studied with Franz Brentano
Franz Brentano
Franz Clemens Honoratus Hermann Brentano was an influential German philosopher and psychologist whose influence was felt by other such luminaries as Sigmund Freud, Edmund Husserl, Kazimierz Twardowski and Alexius Meinong, who followed and adapted his views.-Life:Brentano was born at Marienberg am...
and Hermann Lotze. He had an important influence on Edmund Husserl
Edmund Husserl
Edmund Gustav Albrecht Husserl was a philosopher and mathematician and the founder of the 20th century philosophical school of phenomenology. He broke with the positivist orientation of the science and philosophy of his day, yet he elaborated critiques of historicism and of psychologism in logic...
, the founder of modern phenomenology, Max Wertheimer
Max Wertheimer
- External links :* * * * *...
, Wolfgang Köhler
Wolfgang Köhler
Wolfgang Köhler was a German psychologist and phenomenologist who, like Max Wertheimer, and Kurt Koffka, contributed to the creation of Gestalt psychology.-Early life:...
and Kurt Koffka
Kurt Koffka
Kurt Koffka was a German psychologist. He was born and educated in Berlin and earned his PhD there in 1909 as a student of Carl Stumpf...
, co-founders of Gestalt psychology
Gestalt psychology
Gestalt psychology or gestaltism is a theory of mind and brain of the Berlin School; the operational principle of gestalt psychology is that the brain is holistic, parallel, and analog, with self-organizing tendencies...
, as well as the renowned Austrian novelist Robert Musil
Robert Musil
Robert Musil was an Austrian writer. His unfinished long novel The Man Without Qualities is generally considered to be one of the most important modernist novels...
who was his doctoral student. Stumpf is also credited with the introduction in current philosophy of the concept of state of affairs
State of affairs
The state of affairs is that combination of circumstances applying within a society or group at a particular time. The current state of affairs may be considered acceptable by many observers, but not necessarily by all. The state of affairs may present a challenge, or be complicated, or contain a...
(Sachverhalt), which was later popularised through Husserl's works. He also formed a panel of 13 eminent scientists, known as the Hans Commission, to study the claims that a horse named Clever Hans
Clever Hans
Clever Hans was an Orlov Trotter horse that was claimed to have been able to perform arithmetic and other intellectual tasks....
could count. Psychologist Oskar Pfungst
Oskar Pfungst
Oskar Pfungst was a German comparative biologist and psychologist. While working as a volunteer assistant in the laboratory of Carl Stumpf in Berlin, Pfungst was asked to investigate the horse known as Clever Hans, who could apparently solved a wide array of arithmetic problems set to it by its...
eventually proved that the horse could not really count.
Stumpf was one of the earliest students of Brentano and always remained quite close to his early teachings. He wrote his dissertation under the supervision of Lotze at the university of Göttingen (1868) and also did his habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
there (1870). Later in his life he became more and more interested in empirical methods in experimental psychology and effectively became one of the pioneers in this discipline. He held a teaching position in Göttingen, then became a professor at Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
and later at Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Halle, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and finally Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where he founded the Berlin School
Berlin School
The Berlin School of experimental psychology was headed by Carl Stumpf , who became professor at the University of Berlin where he founded the Berlin laboratory of experimental psychology ....
of experimental psychology, which was later to become the base of operation for Gestalt psychology
Gestalt psychology
Gestalt psychology or gestaltism is a theory of mind and brain of the Berlin School; the operational principle of gestalt psychology is that the brain is holistic, parallel, and analog, with self-organizing tendencies...
. Stumpf famously quarreled with Wilhelm Wundt
Wilhelm Wundt
Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt was a German physician, psychologist, physiologist, philosopher, and professor, known today as one of the founding figures of modern psychology. He is widely regarded as the "father of experimental psychology"...
, then the most prominent figure in German experimental psychology (and by extension, the world), over the psychology of audio
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
tones
Pitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
and Comparative musicology. With an Edison cylinder recording he made of a visiting Siamese theater troupe in September 1900, Stumpf founded the Berliner Phonogramm-Archiv
Berliner Phonogramm-Archiv
The term Berliner Phonogramm-Archiv is used to refer to:*A collection of ethnomusicological recordings or world music, mostly on phonographs assembled since 1900 in Berlin, Germany and*The institution that assembled these recordings....
. Stumpf was a good friend and frequent correspondent with the American psychologist and philosopher William James
William James
William James was a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher who was trained as a physician. He wrote influential books on the young science of psychology, educational psychology, psychology of religious experience and mysticism, and on the philosophy of pragmatism...
, who also had issues with Wundt.
See also
- School of BrentanoSchool of BrentanoThe School of Brentano refers to the philosophers and psychologists who studied with Franz Brentano and were essentially influenced by him. While it was never a school in the traditional sense, Brentano tried to maintain some cohesion in the school...
- Sprung, H. : Carl Stumpf – Eine Biografie. Von der Philosophie zur Experimentellen Psychologie. München/Wien: Profil 2006.
- Bonacchi, S./ Boudewijnse, G.-H. (eds.): Carl Stumpf – From Philosophical Reflection to Interdisciplinary Scientific Investigation. Wien: Krammer 2011
External links
- Short biography, bibliography, and links on digitized sources in the Virtual LaboratoryVirtual LaboratoryThe online project Virtual Laboratory. Essays and Resources on the Experimentalization of Life, 1830-1930, located at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, is dedicated to research in the history of the experimentalization of life...
of the Max Planck Institute for the History of ScienceMax Planck Institute for the History of ScienceThe Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin was established in March 1994. Its research is primarily devoted to a theoretically oriented history of science, principally of the natural sciences, but with methodological perspectives drawn from the cognitive sciences and from... - Autobiography from History of Psychology in Autobiography Vol. 1 (1930), p. 389-441, at York UniversityYork UniversityYork University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
"Classics in the History of Psychology"