Description

William McDougall’s Body and Mind: A History and a Defense of Animism (1911) offers a profound exploration of the relationship between the physical body and the conscious mind. In this influential work, McDougall traces the historical development of theories concerning mind-body interaction and presents a strong philosophical and scientific argument for animism—the view that mind or spirit plays an active role in the natural world. Challenging mechanistic and materialist explanations, he defends the concept of a vital principle guiding human behavior and mental life. This book remains a significant contribution to early twentieth-century debates in psychology, philosophy, and the emerging field of psychophysiology.