History of Psychology
I have always had a strong desire to help children that are placed in foster care, as it seems to be that they need a kind hearted honest person on their side. I began this journey with this thought in mind in pursuit of knowledge so that I could accomplish this much-needed desire to work with children. Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be learning so much wonderful informative information. I can say that this new venture in my second part of my life feels like I am walking the streets with Plato and learning to “know thyself”!
The history of Psychology and its roots may be back-tracked to a period in time where the chief school of thought was philosophy. Us as humans continually quest to find ways and means in the interpretation of our species behaviors, however, our findings wasn’t theorized officially or acknowledge until the beginning of the incorporation of scientific techniques taking place. To this credit, a few notable individuals are deserving of great credits for the productive and fruitful history of the study of psychology. In this paper I will discuss philosophers that historically relate to the beginnings of psychology as a formal discipline. My intention for this paper is to explain incidents and reasoning’s of few philosophers and their reasoning behind some of their philosophies in the western tradition, and was chief contributors in the foundation of psychology as a discipline. I will also reconnoiter the progress of the science of psychology throughout the 19th century, with the hopes of shedding some light on the subject for those who read this paper.
At a time when the first experimentation or involvements with psychology and philosophy by the Greeks, Protagoras of Abdera, one of several fifth century Greek thinkers (along with a few others, to be mentioned) was collectively was known as the Older Sophist, presented the dissimilarity between appearance and reality. His philosophies over time grew quite valiant and one of his famous quotes suggested that, in reference to the Gods, he was not certain of their existence or what their lickings were; and that there were numerous aspects that averted our knowledge as the subject was obscure. The higher authorities in the Athenian assembly were not as liberal, and so, were not very accepting to heretical ideas; hence, expatriate Protagoras and destroyed books of his theories by fire. At the same time, Alcmaeon of Croton, an acclaimed physician noted as being among the first Greeks who dissect animals in order to conduct researches on their brains, organs, bones and muscles, he too was a forerunner in dissecting of human bodies. It was through the practice of dissections that started to realize that sensations travel to the brain through communications from our “sense” related organs. He also stated that our ability to perceive and think are dissimilar processes and advised the brain is a place that stores processes and derives perception and is also in control of our beliefs and memories.. Six centuries later at the Museum and institute of Alexandria, Galen made it a point to acquire and learn information regarding surgeons that had come before his time. While, Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ was designated a physician allowing him to attain collection of Imperial Libraries, which comprised of all the empire’s literature. By this time, a treatise "On the Passions of the Errors of the Soul" was written by Galden. He believed that certain psychological issues may happen when we are overcome by our passions, anxiety, sorrow, fierceness, and lust. He also held as true that ridding ourselves from such desires through the quest for by self-knowledge and comprehension is quite an arduous task, with the reason that the majority of us fail to discern our own inadequacies. Such lessons focuses on the very core of classical thought and the roots of the battle amongst the practice of empirical knowledge, and the