William James at Harvard and Wilhelm Wundt at Leipzig University are widely remembered as the two principal founders of modern experimental psychology. While James vocally promoted open-minded but scientifically rigorous studies of contested phenomena such as telepathy and mediumship and published results of his own investigations, Wundt in Germany aggressively battled belief as well as scientific research in the occult domain.
Recently, I wrote an article on Wundt and his scorched earth war on all things occult for the online encyclopaedia of the Society for Psychical Research in London. It provides an overview of Wundt’s major critiques, and quotes him at length – many of his quotes are translated into English for the first time.
Though some psychologists still portray Wundt as a champion of science battling supposed occult superstitions, the article reveals his overtly polemical approach. His strategies also included, for example, an attempt to virtually purge the unorthodox views of another eminent name in the history of psychology, Gustav T. Fechner, from the historical record.
Not to be outdone, I address the broadly religious motivations for Wundt’s life-long fight, as revealed by himself in his memoirs.
You can read the article free of charge here.
