The concept of inhibition in some nineteenth century theories of thinking.

The concept of inhibition was introduced into psychology and physiology at the beginning of the 19th century. Although it was quickly adapted to account for a wide range of phenomena in both disciplines, questions were soon raised about its real explanatory power. Some of the objections were on logical and scientific grounds but many were to the very notion that an inhibitory process could be an active one. Despite many analytical reviews and attempted redefinitions, no clarification resulted. Partly this was due to the influence of a variety of unstated philosophical and social-ideological assumptions about the phenomena for which inhibition was used. In this paper, some of these issues are explored in relation to "insanity," hypnosis, and normal thinking and willing. Particular attention is paid to Alexander Bain's theory of the will which David Ferrier attempted to locate in his hypothesised frontal inhibitory-motor centers.