Abstract
On November the 2nd 1882, William James visited Ernst Mach in Prague, and attended one of his lectures. The conversation with Mach and the lecture were marking events for James. James was also very interested in Hermann von Helmholtz’s ideas and he attended also one of his lessons. However that lesson had not such a marking effect on James. Based on Mach’s and Helmholtz’s lectures for the general public I propose a reflection on the defining traits that made the said event “the most artistic lesson [James] ever heard”. We shall remark, namely, on the imaginative joy contained in Mach’s texts, which appear to embody some of James’ key ideas on Education. To evaluate these writings as regard the ‘artistic lesson’, we shall turn to William James’s Talks to Teachers on Psychology and Education (1892) and to Alfred Whitehead’s “The Aims of Education” (1929), as well as to some contemporary thinkers.
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Notes
- 1.
H. Siemsen and K. Siemsen have addressed this issue from a different perspective from the one we will present.
- 2.
I first came across this comment in a footnote to the first chapter of Holton’s book “Science and Anti-Science” (1993, p. 45). Erwin Herbert (1976) in his Introduction to Mach’s work “knowledge and Error” mentions the comment made by William James in a letter addressed to the philosopher Carl Stumpf. He is said to have used the expression “beautiful lesson” in the letter addressed to his wife.
- 3.
I’m using the date of the lectures to emphasize his place in Helmholtz’s life. All the pages are in reference with David Cahan’s edition.
- 4.
Ibid., p. 224.
- 5.
Ibid., p. 230.
- 6.
Ibid., p. 229.
- 7.
Op.cit. p. 338.
- 8.
p. 234, op.cit. p. 337.
- 9.
Ibid., p. 213.
- 10.
p. 4, op.cit. p. 340.
- 11.
Ibid., p. 4.
- 12.
p. 33, op.cit. p. 336.
- 13.
p. 368, op.cit. p. 337.
- 14.
p. 31, op.cit. p. 336.
- 15.
Ibid., p. 34.
- 16.
Ibid., p. 37.
- 17.
The page number is always in reference with op.cit. p. 337.
- 18.
Ibid., p. 4.
- 19.
“But the stereoscope accomplishes still more than this. It can visualize things for us which never see equal clearness in real objects (…). For example, if we photograph a machine stereoscopically (…). I have employed this method for obtaining transparent stereoscopic views of anatomical structures” (ibid. 74). William James uses the metaphor of stereoscopic view in his Talks to Teachers.
- 20.
Ibid., p. 86.
- 21.
p. 90, op.cit. p. 337.
- 22.
Ibid., p. 194.
- 23.
Ending on a personal remark: this text results from the elaboration of a presentation at Ernst Mach Centenary Conference at Vienna (2016). During its production I experienced a singular sensation that I would like to share here because of its Machian and Whiteheadian aspect. While trying to pick strong and illustrative examples of Mach’s singularity I happened to be working in the countryside, where I live, with the windows open. Someone started preparing the soil and I heard the hoe working the soil with a certain rhythm. The consciousness of this pace was a pleasure that has filled my spirit. Rhythm and resonance have been the background of my views which were inspired by Whitehead.
- 24.
p. 40, op.cit. p. 336.
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Valente, M. (2019). “The Most Artistic Lesson I Ever Heard” – A Contribution to the Reflection on a Comment Made by William James Regarding a Lesson by Ernst Mach. In: Stadler, F. (eds) Ernst Mach – Life, Work, Influence. Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook, vol 22. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04378-0_38
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