Psychology, John Dewey’s first book, is an appropriate choice for the first volume in the Southern Illinois University series “The Early Works of John Dewey, 1882–1898.” With an original publi­cation date of 1887, Psychology is volume 2 of “The Early Works.” It appears first in the series to introduce scholars and general readers to the use of modern textual criticism in a work outside the literary field. Designed as a scholar’s reading edition, the volume presents the text of Dewey’s work as the author intended, clear of editorial footnotes. All apparatus is conveniently arranged in ap­pendix form. As evidence of its wide adoption and use as a college textbook, Psychology had a publishing history of twenty-six print­ings. For two of the reprintings, Dewey made extensive revisions in content to incorporate developments in the field of psychology as well as in his own thinking. The textual appendices include a thorough tabulation of these changes.

In recognition of the high quality and scholarly standards of the textual criticism, this edition of Psychology is the first non­literary work awarded the Seal of the Modern Language Associa­tion Center for Editions of American Authors. By applying to the work of a philosopher the procedures used in modern textual editions of American writers such as Hawthorne, the Southern Illinois University Dewey project is establishing a pattern for future col­lected writing of philosophers.

Fredson Bowers, Chairman of the Department of English at the University of Virginia, is the Consulting Textual Editor for “The Early Works of John Dewey.”

Textual Editor is Jo Ann Boydston, Director of Cooperative Research on Dewey Publications at Southern Illinois University.