A History of Psychology Chapter two: Philosophical Influence on Psychology

A History of Psychology

Chapter two: Philosophical Influence on Psychology

1.The Spirit of Mechanism (17th-19th century Zeitgeist)

Clocks and mechanical figures Influenced the direction of psychology

Mechanism The universe as a great machine

Feature of science Observation, experimentation, & measurement

Nature Philosophy = physics Newton: the universe is a clock, made by God. It is

measurable, predictable, and orderly

II. The Clock Universe Clock as metaphor for mechanism Determinism and reductionism Automata The calculating engine

II. The Clock Universe Clock as metaphor for mechanism

Available to all levels of society

Behaviors are Regular, predictable, precise

Harmony and order of the universe

II. The Clock Universe Determinism and reductionism

Determinism Every act is determined by past events. If universe = a clock, then we can predict change

because we know the order and regularity of a clock

Reductionism Like clock could be understood by reducing them to

their basic components to know its functioning Explain phenomena on one level (e.g., complex ideas)

in terms of phenomena on another level (e.g., simple ideas)

II. The Clock Universe

Automata People as Machine Automata as models for

human beings Bodies were like machines

made by God

Automaton figure of a Monk

II. The Clock Universe– The calculating engine

Charles Babbage (1791-1871)

Enrolled at Cambridge U. Knew about math more than

faculty Became a mathematic

professor at Cambridge Charles Babbage

II. The Clock Universe The calculating engine

Automata: human physical action Calculator: human mental action Babbage invited 300 people to his home to look

at his design Called “The difference engine” However, Government withdrew

fundingupset

II. The Clock Universe Calculator imitated

human mental actions

Influence modern computer, human cognitive process, a form of artificial intelligence

Babbage’s calculating machine

III. The beginnings of Modern Science Empiricism

The pursuit of knowledge through observation and experimentation

Rene Descartes (1596-1650) Applied the idea of the clockwork mechanism

to the human body

III. The beginnings of Modern Science

Rene Descartes (1596-1650) Inherited a lot money to travel and

intellectual pursuits Poor health Queen in Sweden requested him to

teach her philosophy in 1649 However, early morning lessons

and cold weather, he died after four months in 1650.

Rene Descartes

IV. The contribution of Descartes:

1. The Nature of the Body

Body is Matter,

Body is like Machine

Body is Involuntary Movement


Human behavior is predictable if input are known

Impact later on “classical conditioning” phenomena

Support from physiology Blood circulation; digestion

2. Reflect Action theory (S-R)


3. Localization of functions in brain


4. The Body-Mind Interaction

Mind thinks, perceives, and wills

Mind provided information about the external world

Mind influences and is influenced by the body

IV. The contribution of Descartes: 5. The Doctrine of Ideas

Derived Ideas (from the external source) from the direct application of an external stimulus The sound of bell

Innate Ideas (from the internal source) from the mind or consciousness Impact: Gestalt psychology—the principle of organization Depth perception

V. Philosophical Foundations of the New Psychology European philosophy: foundations of the

science of psychology

Positivism

Materialism

Empiricism (major role)

V. Philosophical Foundations of the New Psychology Positivism (August Comte, 1798-1857)

Recognize only natural phenomena or facts that are objectively observable

Only knowledge from science was valid Materialism

The facts of the universe could be described in physical terms and explained by the properties of matter and energy

V. Philosophical Foundations of the New Psychology Empiricism (major role)

How the mind acquires knowledge

Attributes all knowledge to experience

Knowledge is from sensory experiences and objective observation

John Locke, George Berkeley, David Hume, David Hartley, James Mill, and John Stuart Mill

Empiricism and Association: Acquiring knowledge through Experience: John Locke (1632-1704)

John Locke (1632-1704) Studied at Universities in

London and Oxford Interested in politics;

impacted on American Independence

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690) started British empiricism

John Locke


1. How the mind acquires knowledge

At birth: individuals are blank and clean

Individual acquires knowledge through experience and leaning


2. Sensation and Reflection Ideas are the result of reflection and sensations

Sensation (impression): sense impressions

Reflection (idea): mind operates on the sense impressions to

form ideas

Combine the sense impresions to form abstractions and other higher-level ideas


3. Simple idea and complex idea Simple idea

Can not be analyzed or reduced to even simpler ideas

Complex Idea Combining simple ideas Can be analyzed and reduced to simpler

ideas


4. The theory of Association Rejected Descartes’ innate ideas

Simple ideas may be linked or associated to form complex ideas

Association (early) = learning (today)


5. Primary and secondary qualities

Primary: objective, exist independently of being experienced.

The size and shape of a building

Secondary: subjective, exist if experienced (perceived)

Color Water: cold, hot, warm

Empiricism and Association: Acquiring knowledge through Experience: George Berkeley (1685-1753)

Born and educated in Ireland An Essay Towards a New Theory

of Vision (1709) & A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (1710)

Taught at Trinity College in Dublin One school in California named

“Berkeley” in honor of himGeorge Berkeley


1. Perception is the only reality Mentalism: all knowledge is a function of mental

phenomena and dependent on the perceiving or experiencing person

One can only rely on one’s perception of the physical nature of objects

Impact the phenomenology of the humanistic school, focus on the individual’s unique experiences


2. The Association of sensations

Knowledge: composition of simple idea, held together by association

Depth perception: is learned and is the result of the association or synthesis of sensations.

Empiricism and Association: Acquiring knowledge through Experience: David Hume (1711-1776)

If no God, one has no way of knowing

1. Impression and Ideas Impression: like sensation and

perceptions Idea: images of impression Both may be simple or

complexDavid Hume

Empiricism and Association: Acquiring knowledge through Experience: David Hume (1711-1776)

2. Law of Association Resemblance (similarity)

The more alike two ideas are, the more readily they will be associated

Contiguity in time and space The more closely linked two ideas are in time and

space, the more readily they will be associated

Empiricism and Association: Acquiring knowledge through Experience: David Hartley (1705-1757)

Was prepared to be a minister, but later turned to medicine

Observations on Man, His Frame, His Duty, and His Expectations (association)

David Hartley

Empiricism and Association: Acquiring knowledge through Experience: David Hartley (1705-1757) 1 Association by contiguity and repetition

Contiguity: explains memory, reasoning, emotion, voluntary and involuntary actions

Repetition: the more frequently two ideas occur together, the more readily they will be associated.

Infant (no knowledge)Children (rely on sensory experiences and mental connections) -adult (rely on thinking, judging, & reasoning)

The first to apply a theory of association to explain all types of mental activities.

Empiricism and Association: Acquiring knowledge through Experience: David Hartley (1705-1757)

2. The influence of mechanism Explain psychological process in terms of

mechanical principles and explain their underlying physiological processes

Impulses, vibration (human brain and nervous system)

Empiricism and Association: Acquiring knowledge through Experience: James Mill (1773-1836)

Educated at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland

Worked at church

Was a writer

Analysis of the Phenomena of Human Mind

James Mill

Empiricism and Association: Acquiring knowledge through Experience: James Mill (1773-1836)

1. The mind as a Machine

No place for free will

Mind can be studied by it’s elements

Mental elements: sensations and ideas

Complex ideas solely due to association

Empiricism and Association: Acquiring knowledge through Experience: John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)

His father is James Mill

Received private tutoring: Greek, Latin, algebra, history, political economy….

John could read Plato in Greek at 3; wrote scholarly paper at 11; master university curriculum at 12; suffered depression by 21.

Fell in love with Harriet Taylor

Equality of sex

John Stuart Mill

Empiricism and Association: Acquiring knowledge through Experience: John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)

1. Mental chemistry Mental chemistry: Complex ideas are more than the

sum of the simple ideas

Creative Synthesis: a combination of mental elements created something greater than or different from the sum of the original elements

Argued it is possible to make a scientific study of mind

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A History of Psychology Chapter two: Philosophical Influence on Psychology