-study of history

-can't write it all down so have to select what is important

-historians want to avoid bias, so use these consider these:

-Presentism (evaulating past events by todays standards) vs. Historicism (putting oneself into that time to understand): ideally a mixture

-Internal (narrowly focused) vs External (context included) history

-Personalistic (impt ppl focused) vs Naturalistic (external factor focused) history

-Zeitgiesit (time and spirt) vs Ortgeist (place)

-influenced by Edwin Boring (american leading Historian in Psyc)

-developed Historiography Prescriptive Theory based on a set of terms to define past themes: determinism/indeterminism, empiricism/ rationalism, inductivism/deductivism, mechanism/vitalism, monism/dualism, natualism/ supernaturalism

-intentionally paired this way, all right terms are philosophical, art, religion,etc and the left are scientific (21st cent psyc is left sided)

-he was personalistic

-

Determinism: everything is a product of CAUSE, no free will (all determined events)

Indeterminism:unlike animals, we are not at the mercy of nature/neurology, we CHOOSE what we want to do etc, does not focus on cause

Empiricism: arriving at the truth base on EXPERIENCES

Rationalism:arriving at the truth based on reasoning, sometimes impossible to experience (or can be fooled)

-both apply to epistomology (nature of truth)

Iductivism: look at many examples and then reach a greater truth

Deductivism: start with the greater truth and then test examples

Mechanism: physical processes

Vitalism:spiritual, souls

-stems mind/body debate

Monism: belief that EITHER mechanism OR vitalism is correct, but not both

Dualism: blend of both thoguht to be correct

-Psychology is Monist (mechinistic) bc cannot answer WHY non physical minds can have physical reactions (materialistic monist)

Naturalism: approach to explain humans that place them within the natural world, if you want an explanation, it is around you

Supernaturalism: something is thought to transcend, there is an important shaping force OUTSIDE of us

Golden Age Philosophers

500-300bc

-from the birth of Socrates to the death of Aristotle

-Socrates taught Plato taught Aristotle(most scientific)

-Greece was at its most influential, financially, military etc

-Polytheism: belief of multiple gods

-today we are influenced by all three POVs on science and philosophy

Apollonian: God Apollo, conceptualized by greeks as most powerful, future seer, immortal, (but not moral ideal), wealthy w slaves and goods

-resulted in polythistic gods and goddess, could choose whoever was needed - no impact on western culture

Dianysian: entirely different context, Thrace thought, god of crops, god of fertility, was vital for existence, bad things would happen if  ignore, transcended to the supernatural realm, becan BACCHUS(roman for dianysis)  (Socrates, Plato and Aristotle influenced by this)

-community event associated with harvest, solstice, etc where a god (BACCHUS) was given alms (a large part of greek culture)

-Maemads: insane women engaging in celebratory acts such as orgies, ripping animals apart, pouring of blood on self

-they thought being drunk was the god entering them and showing truth

-eventually romans take over

-feast to eat and drink- Wine was important

-Christian symbolism is tied to ancient fertility symbols

-christmas trees decorated, gift giving (solstice)

-easter rabbits lay eggs(abundance of spring, resurrection of life)

-odd welding of religion

-influenced by Socrates, Plato, Aristotle

-taming of the celebrations, (live right, use thought instead of sacraficing animals and drinking)

-founded the Orphics

-thought to have a Spiritual Soul - starts out pure from heaven and is brough together w a corrupted body from earth

-should live towards purity not corruption

-was eventually killed by angry maemads

Pythagoras

582-500bc

-not part of the Golden Age, but similar beliefs

-modern scientist, no writings but left behind Pythagorians

-religious and scientific idol, healed sick, raised dead etc

-believed in truths that transcend the physical world

-live life right, turn away from physical pleasure

-MATH as a way to transcend reality

-reformed Orphic religion bc REASON and pleasure of the mind is uniquely human (a priduct of intellect)

-applied #s to music

-Leads to the Golden Age

Socrates

469-399bc

-admierer of Pythagorus: shared fundamental beleif that there are perfect truths that can only be reached by THOUGHT

-supernatural; should persue truth - not power/wealth

guiding their thoughts with the Socratic method (group asks right ?s and truth is reached)

-"know thyself"

-thought to be atheist and liar, to corrupt youth etc,refused to repent bc didn't believe he was wrong, chose suicide

-Plato witnessed (wrote 'the death of socrates'), carried on his ideas

-devoped 'The Academy' a few years after Socrates' death, taught his way, was a very prominent shcool, taught a whole way of life

-important truths not physical but transcended; FORMS: realities that exist beyond sensory experience- pure and worth seeking

-avenue to truth is the soul of which there are 3: rational soul - most impt, immortal, differs us from animals. Spirited -located in the chest, makes us want to dominate and win. Appetative-appetite for bodily pleasure

-if abused rational soul could be reincarnated as something awful

-believer of free will, chariot ex w two strong steeds going separte

-Theory of Epistomology: knowledge is a continuum (not black and white)

-was a dualist

-knowledge is graded in stages

-lowest level of understanding is imagination - no basis in formal truth

-next up is belief -  which is developed based on experience (empirisism)

-next is thought- different then belief, guided in part by reason (rationalism)

-highest is knowledge - pure reason independent of physical

-Plato, first written representation of a Utopian society

-ideal government etc

-ppl caught in the Appetative soul would be provided for by the gov in exchange for their labor

-ppl caught in the Spirited soul would compete, be in the military, public speaking, business, etc

-those w the greatest love of truth (philosophers) would train and teach formak knowledge and direct us wisely

-Plato's interpretation of existence and meaning

-all humans are born into dark caves where all they see are shadows on the wall, these shadows are eventually thought of as truths and they are satisfied

-those not satisfied search for the light, and sometimes struggle out

-once light is seen, one desires to return to the cave to pull others out, mostly met with anger

-can be religiously interpretated

Aristotle

384-322bc

-Plato's  pupil, concerned more with world around us

-more empirical and mechanical

- moved to athens when father (physician died ) at 17 (stayed 20 yeards)

-attended Plato's Academy

-left and shifted views, physical world interest, started collecting specimens

-realized could develop priniciples and formal knowledge - thought it too restricting to say the only truths worth knowing were Plato's "forms", but should include MATTER

-gain truth through experience

-Alexander the Great contributed to his collections to study

-returned to athens and opened own school with new views LYCEUM (just as famous, open 1000yrs)

-Spirit of soul, "on the Soul" (aristotle)

-1st comprehensive psychology book

-1st historical account of psychology, addresses previous thinkers thought's along with mental/personality disorders, education, etc

-epistomology, aquire knowledge thru time and experience (empiricism)

-start with "Blank Slate"

-points out things are catagorized and structured i nthe physical world

-learn by associating and catagorizing things : similar\opposite things, repeated things, meaningful/emotional things

-determinism-things have causes

Plato: believed knowledge was innate, get to it by reason

Aristotle: believed that prior to our experiences in the world, we have no knowledge

-Aristotle; Purpose of Nature - how and why things change - cause for everything

-leads to a Logical Conflict: if all things have causes, but there are infinite things, you're lead to an infinite regression so logical argument that there is a god

-strong rational side

-Aristotle; similar to Plato's but fundamentally differnt

-believed that there are three souls but humans only have one of them

-Most complex: rational soul, in humans, top of the food chain, allows same things as other two types

-middle: sensitive sould in animals, same as plants but can move and feel

-lowest: neutrative soul, in plants allows to nurture and reproduce

-believed can't be human without soul and cant be without body; neither monist nor dualist

Greeks were _______

and

Romans were_______

Greekss: thinkers

Romans: achievers, doers- advances in medicine, buildings, governtment, etc - infulenced by Plato and Aristotle

Middle Ages

500AD-1400AD

-religious POV shifted, no longer foster indiviual though but rather obedience and faith, lack of free will

-ex. went to far out hit dragons, etc

-no strong central government

-2 parts: 1st: Dark Ages: metaphor for the cave, economic stagnation (light of knowledge was out), 2n:High Middle Ages: 1st universities emerged

The Renaissance "Rebirth"

1400-1600AD

-human image strong and worthwhile- noble and created by God

-physchological shift

- decline in illiteracy, rise of universities

-greek writings returned

-began with Johannes Gutenberg

Pope Alexander VI

1492

-church controlled 50-70% of wealth in Europe, corrupt

-pope most corrupt of his age, materialistic

-celibate w several childre, two famous: Cesar (machevelli model) and Lucretia(hostess to parties at the vatican that included perversions and sacrafice)

-Alex and Cesar fought over who sired Lucretia's child

-Religious revold ensued

-had enough of Pope Alexander

-protested indulgences(paying the church for repentence)

-Protestan Reformation - did not need to be told what to do or what the will of god is, can discover it for self

-written by Andres Versalius (italian), important bc pointed out what was wrong with the official church doctrine of anatomy written by Galen (roman).

-versalius did autopsies on ppl where was Galen had to use monkeys once they would no longer allow him to use ppl

-polish astronomer, religious christian

-published De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelistium - astronomy work on objects in visible systrem - orbits etc, we rovolve around the sun

-first to reject the astronomy of the church (earth being still)

-heliocentric belief

-was excommunicated for rejecting church, works were banned

-John Paul II brought works back which pushed toward the Scientific Revolution with a revival of classic thought (Plato, Aristotle)

-can reach truth two was: reasoning correctly for self or accepting what faith tells you

-some departed from this movement

-Doctrine of Truth- examining the physical world around you correctly will lead to truth and relying on faith leads to godly truths

Sir Frances Bacon

1561-1629

-British, model of scientific approach to understanding truth

-prevents us from understanding truth bc of preconcieved notions

-should erase things not learned through reason

-had 4 idols: believed preconeptions that ppl develop

-lets us use experience to udnerstand truth (empericist)

-advocated technology to aid senses in understanfing

-goal was to correct current books

-enlightenment, new approach to truth

-Idol of the Tribe: preconceptions based on group affiliation (southern americans ie)

-Idol of the Cave: precon. based on unique experiences within the tribe, personal habitat (where raised)

-Idol of the Marketplace: exchanging ideas, just bc hear it doesnt mean its true

Idol of the Theater: believe convincing performances or authoritative figures bc seen right (political campaignes, advertising, etc)

-Book (Dialog Concerning 2 Chief World Systems) is the marker of the scientific revolution

-conclusions based on experience

-heliocentric belief: if you look at observable data, it makes more sense that the earth turns

-made telescope to observe moon, asked others to look,most refused/got mad

-supported Copernicus

-was dug up after becoming popular and buring in Santa Croce in France, finger on display

Dialog Concerning 2 Chief World Systems

(Galileo)

-Heliocentric (sun centered) universe vs. geocentric

-used to be official doctrice, got in trouble, recanted bc listed books NOT to read and defied the govt

-ppl started to think for themselves, can get truth w/out relying on a higher power (mostly can be seen in art)

-human self worth and nature glorified again

-lead to Humanism - forerunner of the Scientific Revolution

-Mathematician, invented whole new field

-epitome of what science is: empirical, quantitaive

-inveneted calculus, theory of gravitational force (universal Gravitational Force): explanation of why planets revolve around the sun, eclipses etc

-most famous work: Principia Matematica: proposed his these concepts

-Pyschology pattersn itsself from these approaches

-epistomology: how to find truth w/ out relying on others

-didnt seperate self from religion but used enlightened ways of understanding to fin dtruth and elevate self

-empericism, founded modern empericism

-if you cant experience it,  its not true

Rene Descartes

1596-1650

-modern rationalism: avoid senses (they can deceive) and rely on intellect and reason

-goal to build new system of knowledge in every field

-philosopher/mathematician

-invented coordiante math (3D space)

-merged algebra and geometry

-made a lsit of unreliables (things not proven through reason)

-"I think therefore I am" (descartes cogiton, came to thru cartisian doubt)

-most famous work: "discours Sur La Methode; should use reason for ALL truths

-valued materialism too, advocated technology

-developed mechanica laws

-we have minds, not automatic: dualistic approach

-idea of Animal Spirits (voluntary movement and reflexes)

-published an explanation on living motion being physically based (known to be incorrect today)

Clarity: absolutely vivid

Distinctiveness: truth doesnt have a hidden truth, it is singular

-duplicated human movements very precisely

-based on mechanical laws developed by Rene Descartes

-ex. clocks, watches, woman playing piano, kings elaborate hydraulic statue system

Interactivism: when I decide to push a button, my boddy reacts and vice versa

-no evidence that there are two realms (mental and physical) that interact- therefore psychology has not accepted this POV

-today: why hasnt been answered

-how does the Pineal gland activate, ideal spot etc