Boris Sidis

Boris Sidis (1867 to 1923) was an American psychopathologist, psychologist, physician, psychiatrist and philosopher of education, born in Berdichev in the Russian Empire. He emigrated to the United States in 1887, completed four degrees at Harvard and studied under William James. He founded the New York State Psychopathic Institute and the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, and was known for pioneering work on psychopathology, hypnoid states and group psychology, and for applying the principles of Darwinian evolution to psychology. His 1922 book Nervous Ills summarised his work on nervous disorders and saw fear as an underlying cause of much mental suffering. He opposed mainstream psychology and Sigmund Freud and died in relative obscurity. He was the father of the child prodigy William James Sidis.