Kurt Koffka

The whole is other than the sum of its parts.

We must not forget that the organism is not a mere sum of parts, but a functional whole.

The task of psychology is to understand the behavior of organisms in their environment.

Perception is not a passive reception of stimuli, but an active organization of sensory data.

Learning is not a mechanical process of association, but a process of insight and understanding.

The environment is not a collection of isolated stimuli, but a structured field of forces.

Behavior is not a series of isolated responses, but a continuous stream of goal-directed activity.

The organism and its environment form an inseparable whole, a 'field' of interaction.

Psychology must deal with molar behavior, not just molecular reactions.

The phenomenal world is the world as it appears to the observer, not necessarily the world as it is in itself.

The 'Gestalt' is not something added to the parts, but is inherent in their organization.

The problem of psychology is to explain how organized experience arises from sensory input.

Meaning is not imposed on experience, but emerges from its structure.

The laws of organization are not arbitrary, but reflect fundamental principles of nature.

We perceive not isolated sensations, but structured wholes.

The concept of 'field' is central to understanding psychological phenomena.

Psychology must move beyond elementarism and embrace a holistic perspective.

The 'trace' is not a static imprint, but a dynamic organization within the brain.

Memory is not a simple reproduction of past events, but a reconstruction influenced by present context.

Thinking is not a trial-and-error process, but a process of restructuring the problem situation.