The Development Of Psychology As A Scientific Discipline Philosophy Essay

The Development Of Psychology As A Scientific Discipline Philosophy Essay One of the most notable figure in the development of psychology as a scientific discipline is RenÄâ€Å" Descartes, a French philosopher and mathematician. Descartes was most recognized as a proponent of dualism which supported the idea that all reality can be divided into two vivid and distinct entities: mind and matter. Descartes distinguished himself from other philosophers in that he proposed an existing link or interaction between mind and matter called interactionism. This was the key development in psychology as a scientific discipline because it led to two key principles in psychology introspectionism and behaviourism. Despite Descartes emphasis on the rationalism which is the pursuit of truth through the process of reasoning, John Locke, the British first empiricist, suggested that empiricism which involves the pursuit of truth through observation and experience is the preferred method of investigation. Being the pioneer to define self through a continuity of consciousness, Locke postulated that the mind was a blank slate of tabula rasa. Contrary to Descarts cartesian philosophy, he believed that we were born without innate idea and that the knowledge is instead measured only by experience derived from various sense perceptions. Yet, some of the information attained from our senses is subjective and non-trustworthy while some are objective and trustworthy. He put great emphasis upon the belief that our knowledge of complex experiences were made up from the links between simple and primary sensations. This idea was further developed by David Hume, a Scottish philosopher, known especially for his philosophical empiricism and scepticism. Yet, there was a slight difference from Lockes argument. While Locke wrote of innate ideas, Hume introduced the concept of perceptions which consisted of impressions and ideas and strove to develop a total naturalistic science of man that examined the human nature on a psychological basis. To Hume, impressions were the most important perceptions because they were derived directly from observations. He strongly believed that only empirically derived content are valuable and trustworthy. Thus, he developed positivism the philosophy of science rooted on the view that data derived from sensory experience and that logical and mathematical analysis of such data produce all authoritative knowledge. In contrast to the empiricists, George Berkely, an Anglo-Irish philosopher proposed that our knowledge comes from the inferences derived from experience through our senses instead of simply coming from direct experiences. His notable achievement of the advancement of the theory called immaterialism or subjective idealism which denies the existence of material substance. In contrast, this theory contends that objects are only ideas in the perceivers minds hence cannot exist without being perceived. A Scottish philosopher, Kames Mill then further developed on the idea and moved the focus from animism to materialism which is a belief that truth can be founded only after a thorough understanding of our physical world. The assumption that Mill insisted was that humans and animals were basically the same that both were entirely physical in their outer look and were totally subjected to the physical laws of the universe. Though agreed in essence with Descartes primary approach in understanding the human body, Mill was against the concept of an immaterial mind. Later on in the mid-1800s, a German physiologist, Wilhelm Wundt, used scientific research methods to investigate reaction times and his book, Principles of Physiological Psychology illustrated many of the main connections between the science of physiology and the study of humans thought and behaviour. The opening of the worlds first psychology lab at the University of Leipzig in 1879 marked the official beginning of psychology as a distinct scientific discipline. Wundt maintained that psychology is a study of humans consciousness and intended to apply as many experimental methods as possible to investigating and understanding internal mental processes. Though his use of introspection is seen as a non-trustable and non-scientific method today, his early work during the days helped to kick-start a stage for future experimental methods and hence was significant in the development of psychology as a scientific discipline. One of the Wundts most famous student, Edward B.Titchener went on to develop amd found psychologys first major school of thought and proposed the idea that human consciousness can be broken down into smaller parts via introspection. He was one of the most prominent structuralist. While structuralism was notable for its emphasis on science research, its methods were less convincing, unreliable, limiting and subjective. The concept essentially died when Titchener passed away in 1927. In response to structuralism, functionalism, an American perspective which was largely influenced by the work of William James and the evolutionary theory of Charles Darwin emerged. Functionalists sought for explanation for the mental processes in much systematic and accurate way. Instead of focussing on the elements of consciousness, they focussed on its purpose. This brings psychology a step closer to scientific discipline by placing great emphasis on systematic research method. In early 20th Century, another major school of thought known as behaviourism rose to dominance. It was a significant change from the past theoretical views. In fact, it was aimed to transform psychology into a much scientific discipline by solely emphasising on observable behaviour. It was started by Ivan Pavlov and two of the strongest advocates were John B.Watson and B.F. Skinner. However, behaviourism does not encourage scientific psychology. Among all, the concept of empiricism developed by philosophers John Locke and David Hume was the most significant leap in the development of psychology as a scientific discipline.

Rainy Days

Rainy Days Essay By Taylor Chance 11/20/13 Rainy days are wonderful to me. Sometimes they can be a hassle but I still love them. The only time I usually have rainy days is when it is July though. Rainy days are awesome to me sense I can do a lot of things in my own house. The reasons why I like rainy days mainly is because I can sing, listen to music, relax, and eat comforting food. First of all, the reason I like rainy days is because I love to sing.During my rainy days sense the air is usually moist and the temperature is usually cold, it is my favorite time to practice. The climate actually helps my voice by making it very moist instead of dry. If I sing with a dry throat, it will damage my vocal chords and it would also damage my tonsils since I would be straining my voice. So I like to play it on the safe side and practice the most on rainy days. Nonetheless, I love to listen to music on rainy days. I mostly listen to sad or calm music because it relaxes me and brings out my emo tions.It gets even better when I look out the window and I see the gloomy, wispy, and foggy roads and the grasshoppers, birds, and squirrels take cover under big, green trees or leaves with dew from the rain on them as I see the whitish, greyish rain splatter all over the place. My favorite song that I like to listen to most is called â€Å"How to Avoid the Sun† by Bi Rain; it is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard or at least one of the nicest songs I’ve listened to.Music also makes me realize new things and wonder about the world especially when it is raining. Another reason is that I love to relax during rainy days. Hearing the pitter patter of the raindrops going on the ground while there is loud thunder as little cool, white or yellow strikes in the sky that looks like a crack in the dark, grey clouds called lightening flash all over the place. I could just flop down on my bed and cuddle under my warm, soft blankets to be nice, cozy, and comfy.Anothe r thing I like to do is take a nap to the sounds of the rain or daydream. It makes me feel like it is winter or something because the cold temperature also relaxes me. Finally, the last reason I love rainy days is because I can eat as much fattening food as I want. Ice cream, hot chocolate, tea, you name it and I will eat it. Eating is one of my favorite things to do even though I do not eat a lot. These are my comfort foods during rainy days to also help me relax.The taste of the creamy, doughy ice cream tickles my taste buds and gives me a brain freeze sense I eat too fast because cookie dough ice cream is my favorite; the hot chocolate is sweet, warm, and it’s warmth makes me feel nice and cozy; and my tea is one of my favorites even though it is healthy. I usually drink tea warm and unsweetened because I try to stay skinny at the same time and my favorite tea is either Darjeeling or Tao: lemon grass and green tea but, these are the reasons why I love rainy days.

Government Control Essay - 635 Words

Any government with total control is worth being feared and having a group of individuals who go against their government. With complete control, a government is capable of committing acts against their citizens, which can be perceived as â€Å"something good† from the government’s point of view. In 1984 by George Orwell, and â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†, by Kurt Vonnegut, the main characters, Winston and Harrison, feel oppressed by the governments acts and events, try to overthrow their government, and go through a realization of hopelessness and defeat. With complete control, a government is capable of committing acts against their citizens, which can be perceived as â€Å"something good† from the government’s point of view. Winston Smith feels†¦show more content†¦The mental and physical handicaps he wore gave him headaches and left him half blind. This is why Harrison began to go against his government. Both Winston and Harrison decided to go rebel against their governments and against the government’s thoughts and ways. As a result, Winston’s and Harrison’s actions led to greater acts of rebellion. Winston began affair with Julia and he began to study the work of the Brotherhood leader, Emmanuel Goldstein (Orwell, 151). Winston believed that he would have to study this to become a member of the infamous Brotherhood. The Brotherhood is the secret, anti-government organization that Winston felt he needed to be a part of. He believed that this would be the ultimate action against The Party. Harrison didn’t need a group or secret organization to rebel against the government. His size gave him an advantage to escape prison (Vonnegut, 24). Harrison escaped from prison to show everyone he isn’t afraid of his government. He went on television to show everyone that he is a greater ruler than any man who ever lived. Winston and Harrison didn’t really recognize how deep they were invol ved against their government. Consequently, both Winston’s and Harrison’s actions had severe penalties. Winston and Julia were caught by the Thought Police with Goldstein’s work and they were taken to the Ministry of Love to be severely tortured for their actions (Orwell, 185). Even though they knew theShow MoreRelatedGovernment Control And Procedural Guarantees871 Words   |  4 Pages1. Regulated capitalism is private ownership with some government control and procedural guarantees. While social democracy is mostly private ownership but extensive government control with substantive and procedural guarantees. An example of how the government regulates an aspect of our economy is the FDA. In a regulated capitalism the owner of a cupcake industry owns the factory but has regulations it must meet according to the FDA. Compared to a social democracy the state would own the factoryRead MoreBirth Control and the Government Essay1092 Words   |  5 Pagesof debate is the topic of birth control and the government. A dangerous couple, it raises the question of who should have control over contraceptive laws and what controls involving them should be put in place? Currently, under the Obama Administration, the Affordable Care Act and â€Å"Obamacare† have b een created. One of the sections of this new plan creates a mandate which requires private businesses to provide insurance that covers birth control costs. The government should not be able to force businessesRead MoreGovernment As An Institution Of Social Control991 Words   |  4 Pagessystem of government is set up differently, in general the purpose of government is to be an institution of social control. The American government was set up to protect the rights of all of its citizens, particularly to protect the minority from the will of the majority. 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A Sucessful Ruler in Machiavellis Eyes Essay - 574 Words

Many factors went into determining whether or not a prince or king was successful or not. Some of these factors were simple things such as the kings personality or the method by which he comes to power. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote this book as a guide for Lorenzo Medici to become a good ruler. He describes these factors, but attributes most leaders achievements to their taking advantage of local circumstances. Machiavelli attributes military victory to having a strong army composed of native soldiers and strongly discourages using a mercenary army. The availability of soldiers is a local circumstance that can result in victory or defeat for a king. Another important local factor that can determine a thriving leader involves the land†¦show more content†¦Hiring of mercenaries has lead to the downfall of many great empires and kingdoms. The Roman Empire was brought down, in part, because of their growing reliance on disloyal mercenaries to control the frontier borders. T he most crushing example of mercenaries leading to self destruction is gone into great detail by Machiavelli when he describes how they have lead to the ruin of his dear Italy. We can see throughout history that the most successful armies have been compiled of native, home-grown troops. Many examples are given, including the armies of Hiero of Syracuse, Charles VII, and even David of the Old Testament. The availability of soldiers and native troops was a local circumstance that affects the successfulness of a ruler because with them he can become mighty but without them he can accomplish nothing. The other local factor that can differ from place to place and has a large impact on the success of a leader, deals with the differences between a rulers customs, language, and religion and those of the conquered peoples. In the situation where differences exist, Machiavelli suggested that the most effective method to employ was for the prince or king to go and live there himself. This would allow the king to react more quickly