Chapter 2 (Part I) Early Psychological Knowledge

Chapter 2 (Part I)

Early Psychological Knowledge

PSK306-History of Psychology Assoc. Prof. Okan Cem Çırakoğlu [email protected]

Early Psychological Knowledge

Psychological Observations

Religious Scriptures

Folklore

Early science

In the beginning...

Mesopotamia and Egypt are examples of twoearly civilizations that produced documented butvery fragmented histories of peoples’ searches foranswers about the nature of the world, the role ofhuman beings in it, and supernatural forces. Theseparation of the material and spiritual (the bodyand soul) was an important step down the road of arelentless inquiry into human psychology. Similardivision of the spiritual and material also appearedin written accounts of the early civilizations of theAssyrians, the Jews, the Persians, and theBabylonians.

Ancient Greece

Early Concepts of the Soul

• Materialism is the fundamental view suggesting that the facts of mental life can be sufficiently explained in physical terms by the existence and nature of matter.

• Idealism is a fundamental view suggesting that the facts of mental life can be sufficiently explained in mental terms. The soul is nonmaterial, immortal, and can exist alone, separated from the body.

• Material monism holds that all things and developments, including psychological processes, no matter how complicated they are, have one similar material origin.

• Atomism is the notion that matter is made-up of small, indivisible particles.

Tradition of Materialism

Atomism

Leucippus5th Century BCE

Thales640-546 BCE

Materialistic explanations of all natural phenomena andmental activities

Matter is made up of small, invisible particles


Milesian School

Anaximenes550-500 BCE

Air

Anaximander611-547 BCE

Moisture, evolution from fish

Thales640-546 BCE

Water

Material Monism: holds that all things and developments, including psychological processes, no matter how complicated they are, have one similar material origin.


Heraclitus

Heraclitus530-470 BCE

Soul-PSYCHE

Consisted of specific particles of ever-living fireQuality and strength of soul based on quality of fire

Drunkness > wetness of soulPhysical death > death of psyche

Different states of awareness > today’s consciousnessSleep and wakefulness > weak and strong connectionbetween body and soulBreathing > leads to intellectual strengthSleeping > lessen psychological capacities


Empedocles

Rhetoric and medicineSoul is more complexFire, water and air

Animals and plants have souls tooHumans: Soul is associated with blood and heart

Empedocles490-430 BCE


Alcmeaon of Croton

Sensation and thought are connected with brain and NSAnimals have brains and therefore, souls but onlyhumans have intelligence

Balance of blood in the body is associated with differentstates of mental awarenesse.g. Blood is active > person is awake

Alcmeaon of Croton500-450 BCE


Democritus

Two imp. assumptions:

1. Soul consists of atomsround atoms of fire, movement of body, which is lifeSoul does not survive destruction of the body, bec. atomsdisperse as well

2. Three-centric theory of the localization of the soulAround brain (thinking)Close to chest and heart (emotional processes)Region af liver (needs and desires)

An early theory of causation of psychological functionsand bodily mechanisms regulating psychology

Democritus460-370 BCE


Epicurus

Basic constituents of the world are invisible atoms

Human soul > fire and airThe more atoms of fire in the soul, the more active thesoul is.All psychological process > different states of concentration of atoms

Epicurus341-271 BCE


Stoicism

The world consists of a passive matter and active force (pneuma)

The more pneuma is involved, the more active the matter

Four levels of interaction1. Nature: impact of pneuma is limited and insignificant2. Level of plants: pneuma is more active, responsible for growth andprocreation of matter3. Level of animal kingdom: pneuma is more dynamic, enables matter togrow, feel and perceive4. Human level: pneuma represents human soul

Idealism

Idealism is a fundamental view suggesting that the facts of mental life can be sufficiently explained in mental terms.

The soul is nonmaterial, immortal, and can exist alone, separated from the body.


Plato

Plato427-347 BCE

The world could be dscribed in three dimensions:

Ideal forms (primary reality)Material world (created by God)Psychological (a reflection of the ideal throughmaterial)

Contrary to materialists, Plato believed that soul is bodiless substance

Cave allegoryhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmBizVdmp68

The triarchic understanding of the soul by Plato

Rational soul

“Desirous” soul

Affective soul

Responsible for abstractthinking and wisdomBrain is a temporary harbor

Emotional, courageous, fearlessAssociated with heart

Responsible for desires and needAssociated with abdominal level

Plato’s Views of the Soul

Case In Point – Plato and The Matrix

• If there is a reality beyond our sensory limits, then what can prevent us from studying it?

Aristotle384-322 BCE

HylomorphismSoul as the form of body which is the matter of soul

Merged point of views of materialists and Plato

Soul > an active, creative influence in the bodybody’s form not the body itselfBody and soul > coexist

Aristotle

Nutrition: (growth and

reproduction)

Perception (reflection of

reality)

Reason (highest function

associated with

thinking)

Aristotle held that the soul possesses individual capacities or faculties:

Only human souls possess allthree capacities

Heart is the centre of vitalactivitiesBlood is the source of activities of the soul

Brain > coolant of blood

Aristotle

Functions associated with

growth and strength

Functions associated with

courage, will and emotions

Skills associated with logic and

reason

Aristotle

Aristotle also advanced the concept of psychological functions or skills:

Cognition

• The most fundamental differences among scholars were based on their interpretations of the major source of cognition and its mechanisms.

• These ideas became a base for epistemology

▫ A brunch o philosophy that studies nature of knowledge, its foundations, extent and validity

Cognition

• Materialists shared several important assumptions

• First, they generally believed that the soul serves as the main detector of the processes taking place in reality.

▫ Without sensation, thought is imposible

▫ Thinking help people in interpreting theirsensation

Cognition

• Second, Greek materialists generally supported the view according to which sensation is possible because of a kind of emanation or “discharge” coming from the objects.

▫ Particles of matter or atoms of different shapesand forms

▫ They evoke sensations and thoughts

▫ This is called emanation theory of sensation

Cognition

• Third, most materialists, including Democritus, believed that characteristics of matter such as color, taste, sound, and smell do not belong to atoms.

▫ All sensations are products of an interactionbetween the atoms of the soul and atoms of theexternal world

Cognition

• Fourth, Greek materialists attempted to explain the basic mechanisms of thinking.

• Epicurus;

▫ Impressions

▫ Concepts

▫ Abstract concepts

▫ Experience

▫ Associations

Cognition

• Plato

▫ Human beings possess two kinds of knowledge

Opinions (derived from sensations, cannot representtrue knowledge)

Universal or true knowledge (coming from immortalideas). Soul acquires this knowledge by recollectionswhile travelling in the immortal world of ideas.

Cognition

• Aristotle

▫ He did not use emanation theory

▫ The sensory process is the acquisition of a form of an object by the body organs capable of receptivefunctions such as eye, ear...

▫ Any object can initiate sensation but there must be a specific environment (for example: hearing requiresair)

Emotions and Needs

• Emotions viewed as “intruders” in the process of the logical reflection of reality

• Humans should learn how to control their emotions• Atomic movements cause emotion

▫ For example, positive emotions; movements of round and smooth atoms

▫ Aristotle disagreed with this notion: proposed biological bodily mechanisms instead

• Excessive desires are destructive• Self-control an important virtue

Greek Medicine and Science

• Madness (no specific details and description)

• Common views of abnormal emotions and mood

▫ There should be a physical sources of certainmoods

▫ Either an excessive surplus or deficiency in bodilysubstances

▫ Some people have predispositions to developabnormal mood symptoms

Abnormal Symptoms

Melancholia

Hippocrates460-377 BCE

HippocratesMelancholia results from particular imbalances of bloodor other humors

Black bile > mental state is disturbed and melancholia, sadness, fear, irritablity occurs.

Melancholia

PlatoIllness is always caused by disproportion or ametria.Excessive pain or pleasure is the source of disturbances.The soul can be contaminated by bitter bodily humors which can generateexcessive sadness or irritability (mania)

AristotleDifferent states of human gall and temprature of black bile.Colder > depressive symptoms, sadness, numbnessWarmer > elevated mood state, cheerfulnessBile’s long term effect > athymia and extasis (depressive and manic states)

Greek Mythology and the Insanity Defense

The Madness of Hercules

• Hercules

▫ One of the illegitimate sons of Zeus

▫ Hera, Zeus’s wife, was jealous about Hercules

▫ She cast a spell on him

▫ Hercules killed his own wife and three children

• He was forgiven because he was believed to be temporarily insane and had no control over his actions

Evaluating the Impact of the Greeks

• At least 5 major areas of influence:

The study of the soul

The teachings about the

mechanisms of human cognition

The suggestions about the biological

foundations of mental activities

The initial inquiry in the fields of the clinical psychology

The rich observations of social behavior

Documents

Chapter 2 (Part I) Early Psychological Knowledge