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Abstract

The distinguished psychologist William McDougall (1871–1938) kept a journal during the last month of his life. This Journal is published here for what appears to be the first time, accompanied by a preliminary textual analysis. McDougall's major themes are increasingly intolerable pain, a self-evaluation focused primarily on his career achievements, and his attempt to “take a strong course” through the intensive application of intellectual and moral effort. He emphasizes “will power” and the bridging concept of “structural integrity” that relates his personal encounter with dissolution to the challenges faced by nations and other human-created systems. McDougall's own implicit model of the dying process is compared with current theories that emphasize stages, communicational interactions, and coping tasks. It is suggested that textual analysis of self-narratives can help to expand and refine our understanding of the ways in which individuals interpret the last phases of their lives.

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“How Far can an Intellectual Effort Diminish Pain?” William McDougall's Journal as a Model for Facing Death

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