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It was once said that all philosophies are true in what they assert and false in what they deny. But Wittgenstein has now reversed this maxim, and argued that a philosopher is only intelligible when he is engaged in showing that philosophy is meaningless. Dr. Köhler is a psychologist. But he resembles Wittgenstein's philosopher in that he is much more intelligible when he is critical than when he is constructive.
The first chapters of Gestalt Psychology attack the extreme Behaviourist position. Even the physicist cannot dispense with direct experience; his minimum is his perception of the coincidence of a needle with a line upon a scale. The Behaviourist is still far removed from even this limited materialistic ideal. His observations are still qualitative. True, he can confine himself to objective experiences, that is, to experiences which are common to other observers. But his elimination of subjective, that is, private experiences is a useless sacrifice. For the mono-materialistic paradise is not gained thereby.
The real value of the work of Dr. Köhler and his school lies in that