Max Wertheimer

LATE OF THE GRADUATE FACULTY,
NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH

The old conception of homo sapiens implies that some faculties, some
abilities are important for man (although not always actually realized).
Among these are the ability and tendency to understand, to gain in.
sight; a feeling for truth, for justice, for good and evil, for sincerity. Con.
nected with the realization of these abilities is the old conception of
human dignity as an inner task of man. Only then is one a true man,
if . . ., only then do we have a truly human society, if . . .

This conception of homo sapiens does not overlook human blind-
nesses and weaknesses, the differences between men and between situa-
tions. It does not ignore the fact that these faculties are often concealed
and overgrown, that their development is sometimes hampered; that
not every man is always a homo sapiens, that he may at times be his
own tragic caricature; that there are often conditions and circumstances
which interfere with their development or realization; that there are
forces which often conceal these human qualities or counteract their
development.

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