Final years and legacy

pp. 195-218

in: Jörgen Pind, Edgar Rubin and psychology in Denmark, Berlin, Springer, 2014

Abstract

Edgar Rubin returned to Copenhagen after the end of Second World War and took up his position at the University of Copenhagen. Here, he launched an important change in the education of psychologists in Denmark. This chapter describes Rubin's research on the perception of speech that, unfortunately, remained mostly unpublished. Also discussed are Rubin's legacy and how best to place him with respect to the psychology of the twentieth century. The relationship between Niels Bohr and Edgar Rubin is also examined in this chapter where Bohr's conception of complementarity is contrasted with Rubin's conception of figure and ground. The book ends with a section on Rubin's vase and the fascination it continues to hold.