A Critical History and Philosophy of Psychology: Diversity of Context, Thought, and Practice
“The text encourages the reader in critical thinking about the topics raised—whether they be thematic, case studies, theoretical, or simply thought experiments—a seemingly unwieldy amount of material rendered engaging.”
Psychology is one of the most popular majors in college--#2 according to the Princeton Review—and also one of the most controversial and misunderstood fields in the natural sciences . . . or is it human sciences, both, or some combination therein? Depends who you talk to.
To some, psychology is a natural science (or should be) in the pursuit of that which can be explained, predicted, and controlled. To these ends, academic psychologists across the world conduct laboratory behavioral experiments and statistical studies to further an empirical understanding of human behavior. Still others, in the clinical branch of the behavioral sciences, seek ever more precise assessment and testing instruments.
Anyone following the news has seen reports of clinical psychologists’ continued efforts to obtain prescriptive powers, like psychiatrists. There has been some progress on this front as New Mexico and Louisiana grants prescriptive power to some clinical psychologists and it appears that some other states (e.g. Florida) may be soon to follow. Despite some differences, these psychologists clearly see their profession as a ‘hard’ science (or on the way to it) like the other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) disciplines.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are psychologists who feel quite the opposite: STEM approaches to understanding the human condition are completely inappropriate, dangerous even, as human existence is not the kind of thing that can be an object of natural scientific inquiry. Said differently, human affective life, thought processes, varieties of behavior, and being in general are not the same sorts of things as particles, objects, forces of nature, machinery, etc. Objects of Cartesian inquiry are quantitative; subjects of human science inquiry are of a different order in terms of meaningfulness and relatedness.
In between these two extremes is every kind of hybrid attempt from neuropsychoanalysis to empirical humanistic psychology, existential behaviorism, empirical phenomenology, etc.
A Critical History and Philosophy of Psychology seeks to contextualize the confused and confusing discipline of psychology in a philosophical, cultural, and social narrative. The authors demonstrate that psychology is both a human science and a natural science, presenting a new and balanced viewpoint. In this farreaching undergraduate textbook, the authors explore comprehensive social-historical and philosophical themes that change over time and link historical figures.
Within the vast social-historical narrative provided, the author pay special attention to include (1) the role of diverse cultures and women in psychology and (2) the complex relationship between objectivity, subjectivity in the development of psychological knowledge.
The text encourages the reader in critical thinking about the topics raised—whether they be thematic, case studies, theoretical, or simply thought experiments—a seemingly unwieldy amount of material rendered engaging.