Wolfgang Köhler: The Place of Value in a World of Facts

˝This important and provocative book is based on a series of lectures given by the famous psychologist at Harvard University. Wolfgang Köhler's challenging subject is value, or what he calls the "requiredness" of an object or activity. This "requiredness" he sees as a pertinent part of every scientific procedure, but, he claims, the scientists of today refuse to deal with a "metaphysical speculation" that cannot be subjected to experimental tests. Defying this attitude, Professor Köhler explores the fields of psychology, biology and physics. His conclusions are striking, that any scientific concept which eliminates the generating force of value is incomplete-that value is, in truth, a fact. Professor Köhler's study is an enlightening view of one of the most pressing dilemmas of our century: the merging of the fundamental values of mankind with the world of science.˝