Philosophers and Scientists in Psychology - 2420 Words

Much of the intellectual history of psychology has involved the attempt to come to grips with the problem of mind and body and how they interact. While the philosophical distinction between mind and body can be traced back to the Greeks, it is due to the work of Renà © Descartes. When Descartes friend, Marin Mersenne, wrote to him of Galileos fate at the hands of the Inquisition, Descartes immediately suppressed his own treatise. As a result, the worlds first extended essay on physiological psychology was published only well after its authors death. Descarte was the first to talk about mind/body interactions, and had a great influence in later psychologists and thinkers. He proposed that not only body can influence mind, but that mind†¦show more content†¦Descartes argued that only humans have minds, and that the mind interacts with the body at the pineal gland. This form of dualism or duality proposes that the mind controls the body, but that the body can also influence th e otherwise rational mind, such as when people act out of passion. Descartes suggested that the pineal gland is the seat of the soul for several reasons. First, the soul is unitary, and unlike many areas of the brain the pineal gland appeared to be unitary (though subsequent microscopic inspection has revealed it is formed of two hemispheres). Second, Descartes observed that the pineal gland was located near the ventricles. He believed the animal spirits of the ventricles acted through the nerves to control the body, and that the pineal gland influenced this process. Finally, Descartes incorrectly believed that only humans have pineal glands, just as, in his view, only humans have minds. This led him to the belief that animals cannot feel pain, and Descartes practice of the dissection of live animals became widely used throughout. Cartesian dualism set the agenda for philosophical discussion of the mind-body problem for many years after Descartes death. People till this day still use the method of dissection to learn. Parallelism in this form is usually traced to Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716). Historian, mathematician, philosopher, scientist, andShow MoreRelatedPhilosophers and Scientist of Modern Psychology1454 Words   |  6 PagesRUNNING HEAD: Philosophers and Scientist of Modern Psychology Philosophers and Scientist of Modern Psychology History of Psychology While the philosophical distinction between mind and body can be traced back to the Greeks, it is due to the works of one great Philosopher that till this very day this is still in existence. Rene Descartes was the first to ever talk about the interactions of the mind and body, which later on in psychological history caught the attention of others who cameRead MoreThe Philosophers Who Contrubuted to the Development of Behaviorism891 Words   |  4 Pageshumors that corresponded with four temperaments. Physicians and philosophers used this model with its four temperaments for many long years. Socrates (469-339 BCE), Plato (427-347 BCE), and Aristotle (385-322 BCE) are often spoken of together due to the unique relationship they shared. Aristotle was the student of Plato, who was intern the student of Socrates, and it is their developments in philosophy, a precursor to modern psychology, that begin to lay the seeds for what would one day develop intoRead MoreHistory of Psychology753 Words   |  4 PagesHistory of Psychology History of Psychology Paper Shirley L Nieves October 21, 2013 PSY/310 Prof. Kelle Daniels The roots of psychology date back to Egypt and the Egyptian mystery system. Psychology has evolved from philosophy, medicine, theology, and science. Psychology evolved out of coalescence of natural science, and also the branch of philosophy which is known as epistemology, which is also known in the theory of knowledgeRead MoreEmergence of Psychology Through Aristotles Definition and Theories on the Psychà ª956 Words   |  4 Pagesand principles influenced the western civilization for decades. According to Hergenhahn (2009) the philosophers De Anima plays a major part of psychology because it is considered to be the first text on the history of psychology. It is within that book, Aristotle seek to define the mind and the soul: psychà ª. He later based his theories involving psychology based on his definition of psychà ª. In order to develop his own definition of the mind and the soul, Aristotle brought forth the idea of empiricalRead MoreHistory of Modern Psychology836 Words   |  4 PagesA History of Modern Psychology Franklyn Rivas UOPX History and Systems in Psychology 310 Lillian Fillpot May 03, 2011 A History of Modern Psychology Before psychology officially became a science, many great intellectuals of previous centuries had contributed to the philosophy behind psychology. This philosophy can be trace back to the times of the Greeks, middle ages, and the renaissance period. However, the link between philosophy and modern psychology became possible in the late 18thRead MoreThe Field Of Educational Psychology856 Words   |  4 PagesSnowman, Jack (1997) defined educational psychology as a branch of psychology concerned with the scientific study of human learning. The study of learning processes, from both cognitive and behavioral perspectives, allows researchers to understand individual differences in intelligence, cognitive development, affect, motivation, self-regulation, and self-concept, as well as their role in learning. The field of educational psychology relies heavily on quantitative methods, including testing and measurementRead MoreSociology: The Study of Humanity Essay1480 Words   |  6 Pagesst udy of humanity. However this description of sociology is only partially correct. To say that sociology is about people and humanity is not enough to distinguish it from the other subjects in the human sciences. For it is equally the case that Psychology, Social Policy, Economics and Social History, amongst others, are all in some sense about people and humanity. Thus the fact that sociology is about people and humanity gets us only part way along the road to a full definition of the subject. Read MoreWhy Do We Do Your Regular Schedules?1368 Words   |  6 Pagesthey were taught or trained to think or act. As children, we’re more perceptive and receptive than most people think, we lead by example and we reflect what we see from those around us, like a sort of mirror memory. Behaviorism is a theory in psychology and philosophy that emphasizes the outward behavioral aspects of thought. The theory is that human as well as animal behavior can be explained in terms of conditioning without appeal to thoughts or feelings, and that psychological disorders areRead MoreFree Will Vs. Determinism879 Words   |  4 Pagesthe answer for this question during several eras, thus they developed various theories attempting to explain human behavior. Determinism is the belief that one event is the consequence of a previous action, similar to a chain. According to some philosophers who support determinism, the will of an agent follows physical laws, and every action is explicable and predictable by physical conditions. By this means, an agent is not able to control his actions, but his actions are determined physically. FreeRead More The Development of Psychology Essay1156 Words   |  5 PagesThe Development of Psychology Psychology is defined as the scientific study of behavior and the mind. This definition implies three things. The first is that psychology is a science, a field that can be studied through objective methods of observation and experimentation. The second is that it is the study of behavior, animal activity that can be observed and measured. And the third is that it is the study of the mind, the conscious and unconscious mental states that cannot be seen but inferred