Editing Wilhelm Wundt (section)

== Overview of Wundt's work ==
Wundt was initially a physician and a well-known neurophysiologist before turning to sensory physiology and psychophysics. He was convinced that, for example, the process of spatial perception could not solely be explained on a physiological level, but also involved psychological principles. Wundt founded [[experimental psychology]] as a discipline and became a pioneer of [[cultural psychology]]. He created a broad research programme in empirical psychology and developed a system of philosophy and ethics from the basic concepts of his psychology – bringing together several disciplines in one person.

Wundt's [[epistemological]] position – against [[John Locke]] and English [[empiricism]] ([[sensualism]]) – was made clear in his book ''Beiträge zur Theorie der Sinneswahrnehmung'' (Contributions on the Theory of Sensory Perception) published in 1862, by his use of a quotation from [[Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz]] on the title page:

"Nihil est in intellectu quod non fuerit in sensu, nisi intellectu ipse." (Leibniz, Nouveaux essais, 1765, Livre II, Des Idées, Chapitre 1, § 6).
– Nothing is in the intellect that was not first in the senses, except the intellect itself.

Principles that are not present in sensory impressions can be recognised in human perception and consciousness: [[logical inference]]s, [[Categorization|categories]] of thought, the principle of [[causality]], the principle of purpose ([[teleology]]), the principle of [[emergence]] and other epistemological principles.

Wundt's most important books are:

* ''Lehrbuch der Physiologie des Menschen'' (Textbook of Human Physiology) (1864/1865, 4th ed. 1878);
* ''Grundzüge der physiologischen Psychologie'' (Principles of Physiological Psychology), (1874; 6th ed. 1908–1911, 3 Vols.);
* ''System der Philosophie'' (System of Philosophy), (1889; 4th ed. 1919, 2 Vols.);
* ''Logik. Eine Untersuchung der Prinzipien der Erkenntnis und der Methoden wissenschaftlicher Forschung'' (Logic. An investigation into the principles of knowledge and the methods of scientific research), (1880–1883; 4th ed. 1919–1921, 3 Vols.);
* ''Ethik'' (Ethics), (1886; 3rd ed. 1903, 2 Vols.);
* ''Völkerpsychologie. Eine Untersuchung der Entwicklungsgesetze von Sprache, Mythos und Sitte'' (Cultural Psychology. An investigation into developmental laws of language, myth, and conduct), (1900–1920, 10 Vols.);
* ''Grundriss der Psychologie'' (Outline of Psychology), (1896; 14th ed. 1920).
 
These 22 volumes cover an immense variety of topics. On examination of the complete works, however, a close relationship between Wundt's theoretical psychology, [[epistemology]] and [[methodology]] can be seen. English translations are only available for the best-known works: ''Principles of physiological Psychology'' (only the single-volume 1st ed. of 1874) and ''Ethics'' (also only 1st ed. of 1886). Wundt's work remains largely inaccessible without advanced knowledge of German. Its reception, therefore, is still greatly hampered by misunderstandings, stereotypes and superficial judgements.<ref>Kurt Danziger(1980): On the threshold of the New Psychology: Situating Wundt and James. In: W. G. Bringmann, E. D. Tweney (Eds.):  Wundt Studies. A Centennial Collection (pp. 362–379). Hogrefe: Toronto.</ref><ref>Tweeny, D., Yachanin, S. A. (1980): Titchener's Wundt. (S. 380–395). In: W. G. Bringmann, E. D. Tweney (Eds.).  Wundt Studies. A Centennial Collection (pp. 380–395). Hogrefe: Toronto.</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Fahrenberg|first=Jochen|date=2011|title=Wilhelm Wundt — Pionier der Psychologie und Außenseiter? Leitgedanken der Wissenschaftskonzeption und deren Rezeptionsgeschichte|publisher=Leibniz Institut für Psychologie (ZPID) |url=https://psycharchives.org/en/item/2884b7c8-7cd8-4ac8-8069-08349f318d88|language=de | trans-title=Wilhelm Wundt — pioneer in psychology and outsider? Basic concepts and their reception | doi =  10.23668/psycharchives.10417}}</ref>