1 Foundations of Psychology Early Greek Philosophers – source of most of our western ideas Medicine – primarily early Greek and Roman involved a transition from mysticism to more scientific ideas

2 Early Greek Philosophers Thales –Things in the universe consist of natural substances and operate through natural laws –Use of mathematics to predict future events –Stressed the importance of critical thinking

3 Early Greek Philosophers Pythagoras – student of Thales –Described a mathematical relationship between the physical world and our psychological experience –Much of his work with mathematics became the basis for Western science –Also important, he was a strong influence on a later philosopher, Plato

4 The Greek Physician Hippocrates Hippocrates – made medical and psychological contributions –Medical Diseases are the result of natural processes Help the body help itself – do no harm –Psychological Brain is the center of mental processes Epilepsy is a disease not an intervention of the gods One side of the brain controlled the opposite side of the body

5 The Roman Physician Galen A.D. – court physician to Roman Emperor –Reintroduced the brain as the center of thought –Described the basic methods involved in what is now called psychological therapy –Not always correct – described the function of the heart wrong

6 Socrates A rationalist who used deductive reasoning Questioned everything, even things people were sure they knew Role of a teacher is to help students find truth Sentence to death for “undermining the state and corrupting the youth

7 Plato Student of Socrates and used similar methods of thought Encouraged students to look for underlying realities Our sensory information is unreliable Plato’s Republic – probably his most important work

8 Aristotle Student of Plato Used inductive reasoning instead of deductive – careful observation better than pure rational thought Developed basic principles of memory that continue to be used today His use of inductive reasoning also led him to incorrect conclusions

9 Aristotle Became one of the most important influences on Western Philosophy and science However one idea was used by others to severely hinder the advancement of science for nearly 1000 years

10 The Idea of the Unmoved Mover Teleology – everything is directed towards a definitive end and a final purpose An acorn’s purpose is to grow to be an oak tree A girl is potentially a woman, but first an actual woman has to exist For all potential things to exist a being of pure actuality had to exist, the unmoved mover

11 Christianity and Aristotle Theologians combined the concept of the unmoved mover and the Hebrew religion to conceive the Christian God as a conscious entity Aristotle must have been divinely inspired

12 Christian Church and Science Aristotle became the final authority on all worldly affairs–scientific exploration no longer necessary True knowledge can only be gained by ignoring sensory information These bodily functions are the source of most human problems - similar to Plato, but different These problems can only be solved by a faith in God

13 End of Roman Era Beginning of “the Dark Ages” In Europe, Christianity controlled all philosophical thought and the behavior of the people Aristotle the authority for all non- theological thought Greek and Roman writings were lost or destroyed mostly by neglect

14 Return of Science – Latter Part of Middle Ages The works of Greeks and Romans still important to Islamic cultures and there works were translated into Arabic Islam spread across northern Africa and the Mediterranean Bringing these works had come back to Western Europe

15 Return of Science – Latter Part of Middle Ages Reintroduction of Greek and Roman ideas led to a renewed interest in philosophy and science Served as a precursor to the Renaissance period and beginning of modern science Attention shifted from being God centered to being human centered – use observation to learn about nature and the world

16 4 Themes of Renaissance Humanism 1.curiosity about human abilities and accomplishments 2. a desire to make religion more individualistic and less ceremonial 3.greater interest in the past 4.opposition to the mindless support of Aristotle as the authority on all things science

17 Renaissance Period Movement to science strengthened by findings that much conventional wisdom was wrong Copernicus – change from a geocentric view of the universe to a heliocentric view Galileo and British scientists advanced the use of science and the scientific method