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FAO: Psychology and Philosophy students/majors
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| Lira |
Have you ever read anything by William James?
He's, by far, my favourite author. A great scientist and an insightful thinker, he made numerous contributions both to philosophy and psychology - and that's no small achievement: the guy was the poster child of Pragmatism (without whom I don't think we'd know about Peirce today) and the founder of the first psychological laboratory in America. However, he seems largely forgotten nowadays.
None of my friends that study psychology know about him (and, when they do, it's because I was the one that introduced them to him). 2010 is the centennial of his death, and apparently it isn't being celebrated anywhere (not even in Harvard, his alma mater).
Anyone care to tell me why? Did Bertrand Russell outflank him after the "Pragmatism vs Logical Positivism" battle? Did Henry James draw all the attention to him? What is going on? |
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| Lews |
I've read some of his psychology stuff.
I don't know how anyone who has studied psychology wouldn't have o.o
I don't know why he's not more popular, though :p |
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| Lira |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lews
I don't know how anyone who has studied psychology wouldn't have o.o |
Me neither. Come to think of it, I suspect he was eclipsed around here by his German counterpart because he's always mentioned in introductory courses, and the situation seems to be the opposite in North America, as far as I understand. |
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| Lews |
| Well, Wundt came first and then chner and James followed. People should be learning about all three for introductory psychology :p |
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| Lira |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lews
Well, Wundt came first and then chner and James followed. People should be learning about all three for introductory psychology :p |
When I took Psy 101, we just skipped him. And I dropped the course :p
ps.: By the way, Titchener came way after the other two, didn't he? He was born exactly 25 years after Bill, and James published his Principles a few years before Titchener penned his first book. |
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| Joss Weatherby |
Not to take this too off-topic, but it seems like since the early 20th century there has been no radical or major new psychological or philosophical movements... Is this because we reached maybe a brick wall in understanding or that maybe it just takes many decades for any of them to become really apparent?
It seems like there is a somewhat more hostile view of new thoughts these days in regards to those subjects with people over all being more conservative and professorial (as in more steeped in the study of past movements and conforming to them while abstaining from diverting from them in any sort of radical or new way).
Or I am just confused? Just what I have noticed with my somewhat limited experiences in the actual technical terms of the fields. |
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| Lira |
| quote: | Originally posted by Joss Weatherby
Or I am just confused? |
I'd say so. My current research owes quite a lot to philosophical developments that took place after WWII, and the cognitive revolution also took place in the latter half of the previous century - that was yet another groundbreaker.
I could spend a whole day talking about what happened in the last century and I wouldn't be able to tell you the whole story :) |
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| Lews |
| quote: | Originally posted by Joss Weatherby
Or I am just confused? |
Yes. Extremely. |
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| Joss Weatherby |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lira
I'd say so. My current research owes quite a lot to philosophical developments that took place after WWII, and the cognitive revolution also took place in the latter half of the previous century - that was yet another groundbreaker.
I could spend a whole day talking about what happened in the last century and I wouldn't be able to tell you the whole story :) |
But unless you study it then it doesn't really seem to be all that well known... I mean that is the case with a lot of things I guess... |
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| Lews |
| quote: | Originally posted by Joss Weatherby
But unless you study it then it doesn't really seem to be all that well known... I mean that is the case with a lot of things I guess... |
Psychology is completely different now compared to how it was at the beginning of the 20th century.
Really, I have no idea what you're talking about. |
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| Joss Weatherby |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lews
Psychology is completely different now compared to how it was at the beginning of the 20th century.
Really, I have no idea what you're talking about. |
Uhh that from most peoples perspectives they never hear of any of the new psychologists or psychological theory? Their work isn't as pervasive to modern culture as those of the more "classical" schools of thought (I use that term loosely to describe anyone that is pervasive).
Maybe you do not see it coming from inside the sphere of influence. :conf: |
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| Joss Weatherby |
| I guess what I am trying to say is that more people equate modern psychology to Dr. Phil and Oprah rather than actual legitimate people in the field, where as in the past the legitimate people in the field were the ones most known. |
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