Contents: Wolfgang Kohler (1887-1967), by Carroll C. Pratt. I. Early Developments in Gestalt Psychology. II. Gestalt Psychology and Natural Science. III. Recent Developments in Gestalt Psychology. IV. What is Thinking? Originally published in 1969. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Contents: Wolfgang Kohler (1887-1967), by Carroll C. Pratt. I. Early Developments in Gestalt Psychology. II. Gestalt Psychology and Natural Science. III. Recent Developments in Gestalt Psychology. IV. What is Thinking? Originally published in 1969. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

One of the pioneers of Gestalt psychology, Wolfgang Kohler (1887-1967) broke new ground in numerous areas of human thought. This collection of writings spans Kohler's brilliant and productive career, beginning with his earliest formulations of Gestalt theory through to his last scientific paper--a perceptive overview of the significant advances of Gestalt psychology. Many of these essays have never before been published in English. Together they illustrate the diversified, highly innovative contributions of this great psychologist. But they go beyond that to clarify problems in psychology, philosophy, natural science, biology, and anthropology through the Gestalt approach.

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Originally published in 1924, this early work on the intelligence of Apes is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. It comprehensively details the observations of a scientific study on the ability of Apes to make, use and handle tools. This is a fascinating work and highly recommended for anyone interested in primate psychology. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Wolfgang Koehler (1887-1967) was one of the founders of Gestalt psychology, the influential school that argues that perception is best understood as an organized pattern rather than as separate parts. Penetrating in its insights and lucid in presentation, Gestalt Psychology (1947) is Koehler's definitive statement of Gestalt theory.

Can values operate in a world of facts and still be more than indifferent facts themselves?

In this important and challenging book, Wolfgang Kohler's subject is value, or what he calls the "requiredness" of an object or activity. Starting with a descriptive account of values as we become aware of them, he finds that, inside certain contexts, parts of such structures do not appear as indifferent facts. They are experienced as belonging there intrinsically or, also, as being out of place in their contexts.

Kohler's closely reasoned analysis, drawing on the fields of psychology, biology, and physics, centers around this concept of requiredness. Certain things in nature belong together or require the presence of one another in such a way that fitness or requiredness constitutes a principle of association between them. This same principle of association, Kohler suggests, may help to explain the idea of value and lay a foundation for the scientific solution of ethical problems.

The positive and broad approach to difficult problems makes this book stimulating reading. The Psychiatric Quarterly