Chapter XI: Books on Thinking

The reader who desires to study further on the subject of thinking will find a wide field before him—but he will have to search in cosmopolitan quarters. While much has been written on thinking, it has been in an incidental manner, and has found its way into books written mainly to illuminate other subjects. Among the few books or essays devoted exclusively or mainly to thinking may be mentioned:—John Locke, _The Conduct of the Understanding_; Isaac Watts, _The Improvement of the Mind_; Arnold Bennett, _Mental Efficiency_; T. Sharper Knowlson, _The Art of Thinking_; Arthur Schopenhauer, _On Thinking for Oneself_, in his _Essays_. The last is especially recommended. It is only about a dozen pages long, and is the most stimulating essay written on the subject. This, together with John Locke’s _Conduct_ (which, by the way, is also fairly short) may be considered the two “classics” in the meager literature on thinking.

There is an extensive literature on the psychology of reasoning, on the “positive” science of thinking. The best single work on this subject is John Dewey’s _How We Think_. William James’ chapter on _Reasoning_ in his _Principles of Psychology_ might also be consulted with profit. S. S. Colvin’s, _The Learning Process_ contains some interesting chapters bearing on thought.

On method, the amount of literature is even more imposing than that on the psychology of reasoning. Probably the most thorough book is Stanley Jevon’s _The Principles of Science_, though this, consisting of two volumes, will require quite some ambition to attack. A good recent short work is J. A. Thomson, _Introduction to Science_. Herbert Spencer’s short essay, _An Element in Method_, in his _Various Fragments_ might also be mentioned. Of those works treating method mainly from a corrective standpoint, I have already mentioned Jevon’s _Elementary Lessons in Logic_. _The_ authoritative and most comprehensive book on logic is still John Stuart Mill’s great tome. Of course this list of books on method, as well as that on the psychology of reasoning, cannot pretend to be more than merely suggestive. If the reader desires an extensive bibliography in either of these subjects he will probably find it in one of the books mentioned.

On doubt and belief, William Clifford, _The Ethics of Belief_, and William James, _The Will to Believe_, might be read. The viewpoints of the two essays are in almost direct contradiction.

On reading, Alexander Bain’s _The Art of Study_, in his _Practical Essays_, will be found useful. Bacon’s essay _On Studies_, which is not more than a couple pages long, contains more concentrated wisdom on the subject than is to be found anywhere.

On subjects most worth thinking about, the reader cannot do better than read Herbert Spencer’s essay _What Knowledge is of Most Worth?_ in his _Education_. As to books most worth reading, consult the lists of John Morley, Sir John Lubbock, and Frederic Harrison; Sonnenschein’s _Best Books_ (in two volumes); Baldwin’s _The Book Lover_; Dr. Eliot’s _Five Foot Shelf_ and Frank Parson’s _The World’s Best Books_, previously referred to.

On the art of living—the art of planning time so as to have room for thinking, as well as valuable hints as to how that thinking is to be carried out—consult Arnold Bennett, _How to Live on Twenty-four Hours a Day_, and E. H. Griggs, _The Use of the Margin_ (both very, very small books).

Finally, there is much useful material, as well as incalculable inspiration, to be obtained from the intellectual and literary biographies of great thinkers. Especially is this true of autobiography. Among others may be mentioned the autobiographies of John Stuart Mill and Herbert Spencer, and an autobiographical fragment by Charles Darwin.

FOOTNOTES:

[ 1] See Herbert Spencer, _Education_.

[ 2] Pillsbury, _Essentials of Psychology_.

[ 3] _Principles of Psychology_, Vol. II, p. 332.

[ 4] See William A. Scott, _Money_.

[ 5] _How We Think._

[ 6] _Autobiography_, Vol. I, p. 463.

[ 7] _Autobiography._

[ 8] Hugh Elliot, _The Letters of John Stuart Mill_.

[ 9] Essay, _Over-Legislation_.

[10] _The Conduct of the Understanding._

[11] _The Will to Believe._

[12] _Autobiography._

[13] _Science and Education._

[14] T. Sharper Knowlson, _The Art of Thinking_.

[15] _The Conduct of the Understanding._

[16] _On Thinking for Oneself._

[17] This may seem unjustified. Witness, however, this remarkable statement in a prospectus of Charles Eliot’s “Five Foot Shelf”: “ . . . The man who has not read the ‘Wealth of Nations’ is hardly qualified to speak or even think wisely on these vital subjects.” If this be true, Adam Smith himself was hardly qualified because he certainly could not have read his own book before he had written it!

[18] Essay _On Thinking for Oneself_.

[19] _Autobiography._

[20] Edward Griggs, _The Use of the Margin_.

[21] _Literary Taste._

[22] The most advanced and severe psychologists may object to some statements in this exposition. I admit that a word may be used as the concept, _but only provided it is accompanied by a “fringe” of potential associates_. I also admit that in order to be dealt with as if general, the visual image must be accompanied by such a “fringe.” But I do insist that this fringe itself is in a constant state of flux. That is the important point for our present purposes.

[23] _Literary Taste._

[24] And consult Arnold Bennett’s _How to Live on 24 Hours a Day_.

[25] _Talks to Teachers._

THE END

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE:

Original spelling and grammar have been generally retained. Original small caps are now uppercase. Italics look _like this_. Footnotes have been relabeled 1–25 and moved to the end of the book. The transcriber produced the cover image and hereby assigns it to the public domain. Original page images are available from archive.org—search for “cu31924031014867”.

End of Project Gutenberg's Thinking as a Science, by Henry Hazlitt (1894-1993)