The Dimensional Psychologist's Toolkit

Coppedge (The Dimensional Philosopher’s Toolkit, 2013) explores obscure notions of psychology in this collection of ruminations.

The author introduces his work by saying, “I am writing this book out of my obligation as a potentially eminent typologist.” This sense of hubris appears throughout his dictionarylike series of psychological principles. The stated intention is “to provide an original standpoint on conventional principles.” The challenge for the reader is in trying to understand the text. Its structure is an encyclopedic list of arcane psychological concepts—Itineralism; Nariety of Malapropism; Semblancy as Precondition—that often requires multiple readings to grasp some meaning. Some of the entries are images rather than text, but little explanation of these diagrams, via words or images, occurs. In a few select instances, fragments of text seem logical but only when taken out of context. For example, in the entry “Fear - Basis of,” the author notes “a pattern that emerges that knowledge should but does not resolve the problem of fear”; “Fetishistic Determinism” “[e]xplains why many objects have appeal when the person cannot necessarily argue for the object’s purpose, significance, or appeal.” But these intelligible entries are rare. Coppedge often further divides his listings into sections, breaking the concepts down into stages, types or categories, creating greater intricacy and confusion. For example, under the heading “Mentation,” he offers four types—Occupied, Distracted, Compelled and Open—and within those, four stages. Some unfamiliar terms are left undefined—“qua genus,” “agons,” “haptics.” It’s unclear who this book is designed for and what qualifications Coppedge possesses. He refers to himself as a philosopher. The book’s subtitle, “or, The So-Called Serious Joke Book,” remains a conundrum as well. Those with a taste for the esoteric and a love of complex psychology might enjoy this work.

A random digest of recondite terms that may be inaccessible to most.