Hartley (Hartley), David

(1705-1757) - English philosopher, one of the founders of the association psychology. In an effort to establish the precise laws of mental processes to control the behavior of people, Mr.. tried to apply for the principles of Newtonian physics. According to GM, the external vibrations of ether causes the corresponding vibration in the sensory organs, brain and muscles;
the latter are on a parallel to the order and connection of psychic phenomena, from basic to the thinking and feelings will. Following the teachings of Locke, D. the first time turned the mechanism of association in the universal principle of explanation of mental activity. For G., the mental world of a person develops gradually as a result of complication 'primary elements' (feelings), through their associations (see. Assotsiantszm). Motivating force for development - pleasure and pain. Similarly G. explained the formation of general concepts: they arise from isolated by a gradual separation from the Association, . remains unchanged, . all accidental and unimportant; set of permanent signs is retained as a whole because of the word, . speaker as a factor generalization,
. Despite the mechanistic, the teaching of Mr.. was a major step forward in the materialist conception of the psyche, it had an impact on ethics, aesthetics, logic, pedagogy, biology. An active supporter of the teachings of Mr.. was J. Priestley.