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Seven chapters and 319 octavo pages with index are here most intelligently devoted to the presentation of a readable and not too popular series of theses of definitely psychoanalytic orientation, but with little use of its terminology.
In the opening chapter on the genesis and nature of conflict, the author, to us wisely, relegates the McDougall ‘instincts’ to the role of desires, and offers a series of notes on what other writers have called drives, impulses, motives, etc., showing the development of conflict. Attitudes is another classificatory grouping in which values appear, and these are discussed in a second chapter. Culture Conflicts is another heading, and Societal Factors are emphasized as groups form and old and new values need adjustment, as dominant and other class levels become coordinated.
There are also chapters on Inferiority Feelings and Security, Sex Conflicts, Conflicts and Neuroses, Conflicts and Antisocial Behavior.
It is all well written, with illustrative case material. The dust jacket speaks of it as the first systematic evaluation of the more important theories regarding the role of mental conflicts in determining human behavior. It is far from this as we believe there are some other and better works of the same genre, but all in all it is a sincere, well informed and attractive presentation with a minimun of the boners so perpetually found in works of this nature. It is a valuable addition to the Longmans' Psychology Series.