Abstract

The history of research into the psychology of nations/ethnopsychology may be divided into two great periods: the empiric period, a period for collec- tion of facts, which started at the dawn of civilization and lasted until the middle of the 19-th century, and the systematic period, a period of scientific theoreti- cal research comenced since the 6 t h decade of the 19-th century. In the middle of the 19-th century much knowledge was alredy accumulated in the field of individual psychology, ethnology, linguistics. Note- worthy are the historical-philwphical studies of Her- der, Fichte, Hegel. Namely the above mentioned scien- ces mostly influenced formation of the psychology of nations as science. The shifting point in formation of the psychology of nations as science was the newspaper "Zeitschrift fiir Volkerpsychologie und Sprachwisenschaft", iht- ly publisched in 1859 by H. Steinthal, the German lin- guist, and M. Lazarus, the German philosopher. In the first issue they set out the subject, objectives, tasks and methods of this science. In addition to these aut- hors, the paper deals with the studies in the psycholo-gyof nations by W. Wndt, G. Le Bon, G. Thrde, A. F d & , C Bouglke, 2 Balicki, L wcdd, 0. Bauer. It could be maintained that from the second half of the 19-th century to the beginning of the 20-th century the fundamentals for the psychology of nationdetnopsy- chology as a branch of science were laid: the subject and methods of its research were identified, its rela- tion with other sciences was being made clear. The conditions and factors for formation of the psycholo- gy of nations were investigated, the main structural elements singled out, the functions shown. The aut- hors of the psychology of nations as science began to perceive better not only the essence and sense of peoples and nations which entered the historic arena as collective subjects of historical and social life, but also the specific character of their culture. They deve- loped and deepened the understanding about the spi- ritual of the peoples. Raktiniai iodiiai: etnosas, tauta, tautos dvasia, tauty psichologija, etnopsichologija, tautine s q m - nP, tautine savimone, tautinis charakteh