History of Psychology On Line Resources

Consciousness: a useful concept or not?

Read the following articles and ask yourself: What is consciousness? Is it a useful psychological concept? Can one study it experiementally? Is it useful theoretically? What is your own theory of consciousness?

• The Stream of Consciousness
  William James (1892). First published in Psychology , Chapter XI.
  (Cleveland & New York, World).
  "...The first and foremost concrete fact which every one will affirm to belong to his inner experience is the fact that consciousness of some sort goes on. ..."
  How does James understand consciousness? Do you agree with him about the centrality of consciousness? Do you think consciousness can be studied? How?
  
• Psychology as the Behaviorist Views it.
  John B. Watson (1913). First published in Psychological Review ,20 , 158-177
  " ... The time seems to have come when psychology must discard all reference to consciousness; when it need no longer delude itself into thinking that it is making mental states the object of observation..."
  Why does Watson think this? What is his alternative to studying consciousness? Do you think he is right? Is he missing anything? What do you think of the value of thinking by analogy?
  
• A New Formula for Behaviorism [1]Edward Chace Tolman (1922) First published in Psychological Review, 29, 44-53.
  "...a non-physiological behaviorism seems to be capable of covering not only behaviorism proper but introspectionism as well. For, if there are any such things as private mental 'feels' they are never revealed to us (even in introspection). All that is revealed are potentialities for behavior. ..."
  What do you think of Tolman's approach? Does his approach allow one to "recover" all that James meant by consciousness?