GENIUS AND DEGENERATION
A PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY
BY DR. WILLIAM HIRSCH
Translated from the Second Edition of the German Work
LONDON WILLIAM HEINEMANN 1897
[_All rights reserved_]
Dedicated, WITH THE AUTHOR’S AFFECTIONATE ESTEEM, TO DR. E. MENDEL, PROFESSOR OF NERVOUS AND MENTAL DISEASES AT THE ROYAL UNIVERSITY OF BERLIN.
PREFACE.
It is a special trait of recent times that science, particularly the natural sciences, have assumed an international character. All civilized nations are equally interested in the great problems of the day, and they all contribute in greater or less degree to the mighty structure of modern science. Nevertheless, the mutual exchange of ideas is sometimes impeded by differences of language, and this difficulty is increased when not only the external form but also the presentation of the subject bears the stamp of a peculiarly national characteristic. I felt myself confronted by such a difficulty when I concluded to place the present work before an English-speaking public. The anthropological questions treated here have made it necessary to undertake a psychological analysis of certain individuals, and to attempt to penetrate as far as possible to the depths of their mental processes. It was natural that in the original production of this work the intellectual heroes of the German people should have been selected, and it is evident that the appreciation of their traits and work is more perfect among their own people than among foreign nations. Nevertheless, I am sure that the characters selected for analysis, from whose life and works I have attempted to arrive at a correct conception of both genius and degeneration, are sufficiently well known to the English reader.
The purpose of this publication was to aid in the elucidation of certain anthropological moot-questions and to clear up certain notions that were apt to create confusion not only in medical circles but also in the wider field of the cultured laity. It can hardly be necessary to disclaim any personal motives in my criticisms of the views of other writers on this subject. Nor was it my object to enter into a critique of the artistic value of the productions of those whose works I have examined, and I trust the reader will bear these facts in mind while perusing the polemical portions of the book. If I have contributed in some measure to a clearer view of the truth of the questions discussed, the purpose of this work will be fulfilled.
W. H.
August, 1896.
CONTENTS.
PAGE Introduction 1
The Limits of Insanity 6
The Psychology of Genius 18
Genius and Insanity 71
Degeneration 118
Influence of Education upon Genius 147
Secular Hysteria 170
Art and Insanity 199
Richard Wagner and Psychopathology 249