The drama unfolds… America takes Command of the ‘Arena’ of Psychology “Revolutions begin not with guns but with ideas”

The Cast (in order of appearance)…… Charles Darwin – 1859 Thomas Malthus – 1789 Erasmus Darwin – 1800 Jean-Baptiste Lamarck –1809 Charles Lyell – 1840 Alfred Russell Wallace – 1858

The Cast, continued…… Thomas Henry Huxley – 1859 Sir Francis Galton – 1869; 1901 Herbert Spencer – Samuel Butler – 1872

The Scene…… England, America Industrial Revolution Science Intellectual climate

Functionalism Antecedent Influences, Pioneers, Founders, and Developers

Act I….Antecedent Influences “My work is now nearly finished; but as it will take me two or three more years to complete it, and as my health is far from strong, I have been urged to publish this Abstract. I have more especially been induced to do this, as Mr. Wallace…has arrived at almost exactly the same general conclusions that I have on the origin of species…” Charles Darwin “I finished your book yesterday…no work on natural history science I have met with has made so great an impression on me…As for your doctrines I am prepared to go to the stake if requisite…and as to the curs which will bark and yelp…I am sharpening up my claws and beak in readiness….” letter from Thomas Henry Huxley to Darwin, November 23, 1859

More seriously, the Influence of Charles Darwin on Psychology 4 Influences on Charles Darwin –Essay on the Principle of Population (1789)— Thomas Malthus –HMS Beagle ( ) –“Life evolves from a filament”— (Erasmus Darwin—1800)) –The inheritance of acquired traits— Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1809) –Evolution of the geology of the earth— Charles Lyell (1840) –Alfred Russel Wallace (1858)

Darwin’s Influence on Psychology 4 Comparative psychology— the continuity of animals 4 Purpose of conscious activity— –functionalism 4 Broadened the base and methods of psychology –E.g., the study of emotions (James’ theory later) –E.g., child psychology 4 Individual differences—variation among members of the same species

Antecedent Influences 4 Influence of Francis Galton –Hereditary Genius (1869) –Measuring intelligence –Statistics: Biometrika J. (1901) –Eugenics –Mental tests

Antecedent Influences 4 Influence of Herbert Spencer –Social Darwinism –Synthetic philosophy ( ) –Influence on William James (Principles of Psychology, 1855) 4 Influence of Samuel Butler –The evolution of machines (mechanism) –Erewhon (1872)

Achievements of Functionalism 4 Liberated psychology 4 Expanded applications of psychology 4 Made psychology useful 4 What happened to Functionalism? 4 What is psychology today? –Learning –Testing –Perception –Psychotherapy