Why was the defecating duck such a sensation in Paris in 1739? What did it have to do with the development of the new psychology?
The defecating duck was a mechanical duck. It had all parts like a machine with springs, levers, and contained 400 other parts. The defecating duck was a marvel of that time in Europe.The inventor Jacques de Vaucanson became an overnight sensation.
He charged a hefty amount to view his marvel. People saw in admiration that a machine which looked just like a living duck could do everything that a live duck did. It looked just like a duck, made noise like a duck, and fed on the grains. People saw in awe how the duck swallowed, defecated, and had an, uncanny resemblance to a live duck.
It became so popular that a great philosopher Voltaire commented that the glory of France would be incomplete without the shitting duck. The arrivals of these new machines were an object of admiration and amusement among the people of Europe. All this had an impact on the growth of psychology.
All these inventions, took place around 200 years ago, before there was any kind of formal foundation for psychology, physics or mechanics. All this new inventions had direct relationship with psychology. The arrival of machines and clocks help paved the way for psychology. The zeitgeist of the 17th and 19th century favored the establishment of the new psychology.