Citation

Root WT. J. Abnorm. Psychol. Soc. Psychology 1924; 19(4): 341-356.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1924, R.G. Badger)

DOI

10.1037/h0063750

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article examines the psychology of radicalism. The author argues a number of points, including the following: (1) the term radical is unfortunately applied to all who offend social tradition and superstition, (2) this use of the caption "radical" as a blanket term is misleading and illogical and is the old trick of damning a man by placing him in a stereotype, (3) radicals may be classified as emotional and scientific or philosophical, (4) emotional radicalism may be subdivided into constitutional emotionalism and induced emotionalism, (5) scientific radicalism differs from the usual forms of social radicalism in that the fact that it is radical is incidental, not essential to the systematic, detached, impersonal hunt for truth, and (6) at times nothing could be more threatening to social tradition than truth, hence the struggle between science and tradition is inherent within the situation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)