The February 2014 issue of History of the Human Sciences is now online. Included in this issue are articles exploring British neurosurgeon and psychologist Wilfred Trotter’s  work on herd instinct, as well the construction of responsibility in inattention and hyperactivity disorders. Full titles, authors, and abstracts follow below.

“Max Weber’s charismatic prophets,” by Christopher Adair-Toteff. The abstract reads,

Most accounts of Weber’s notion of charisma follow his own explicit comments and seek its origins in the writings of Rudolf Sohm. While I acknowledge the validity of this, I follow Weber’s suggestions and locate the charismatic forces in the political and ethical conduct and beliefs of certain Old Testament prophets, specifically Amos, Jeremiah and Isaiah. Their emphasis on political justice and ethical fairness, coupled with their unwavering belief in the power of prophecy, infuse Weber’s conception of charisma and in crucial ways contribute to the formation of his notion of the modern political leader.

“Collectivity, human fulfilment and the ‘force of life’: Wilfred Trotter’s concept of the herd instinct in early 20th-century Britain,” by Gillian Swanson. The abstract reads, Continue reading New Issue History of the Human Sciences: Wilfred Trotter’s Herd Instinct, Hyperactivity, & More →