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The Continental Philosophers
Mental Passivity vs. Mental Activity Empiricism vs. Rationalism Nurture vs. Nature
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German Rationalism A reaction against empiricism and associationism
The mind is active
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Immanuel Kant (b. 1724) An eccentric guy
Hume woke him up from a “dogmatic slumber” Critique of Pure Reason (1781) Views on science
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Kant’s View All knowledge does not rise out of experience, because experience is finite Sensations are ordered by the mind's structure (architecture) into perceptions and knowledge Mind is an active entity governed by innate structures
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Upshot on Kant Mind is an active entity Mind has innate structures
Mind consists of categories of thought Kant did not think psychology would ever be a true science
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The Neo-Kantians
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Hegel (b. 1770) Expanded Kant’s views
Argued that categories of thought exist independently of any one individual’s thought
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The Hegelian Dialectic
Dialectical approach to change, movement, and progress Thesis - antithesis - synthesis - New Thesis Textbook says that this is like id-superego-ego…. Bullpoop.
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Herbart (b. 1776) ”Founder of Educational Psychology“
“Preview, Present, Review”
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Contributions to Psychology
Lehrbuch zur Psychologie (1816) Psychology is a separate science from philosophy or physiology ”Threshold of Consciousness" Ideas may strive to enter consciousness, but may be prevented through repression
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Schopenhauer (b. 1788)
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"The World as Will and Representation"
"The World is my Idea“
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Schopenhauer on Will The driving impulse of all nature is will, our essence is will Freud’s id similar to his concept of will Spoke of repression
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The Philosopher of Pessimism
“God is Dead” “There can be no true happiness, because happiness is only a brief respite from pain. Pain results from unfilled desires, which most of them are.” But, can escape this through celibacy, avoiding gluttony and drink, and appreciating art
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Schopenhauer’s Dog
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Other Strains of Thought at this Time
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Positivism Movement to replace religion and philosophy with science
No ultimate goal or purpose to nature Scientific approach to social order and social development
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Comte (b. 1798) "Course on Positive Philosophy“
Wished to form a "religion of humanity“
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Comte and Science Explanations of life shift from theological to metaphysical to scientific as human intellectual progress occurs Different fields progress at different rates 6 basic sciences: mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, physiology (biology), social physics (sociology) Law of Stages: Theological, Metaphysical, Positivistic
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Comte and Psychology Psychology should be subsumed under physiology
A science of mind wasn't possible Founder of sociology, term coined in 1830
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Mach (b. 1838) Physicist and "modern positivist" philosopher
A basic set of rules must be established in order to assure the integrity of science
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Contributions to Science/Psychology
Sensations are the basic data of psychological science ("Analysis of Sensations,” 1886) Visual perception (Mach bands) Rejected Newton's concepts of absolute space and time Matter traveling through air moving faster than speed of sound altered the quality of the space through which it moved
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Romanticism Reaction against empiricism and rationalism
Emphasized the whole person, especially feelings and emotions
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Rosseau (b. 1712) Man is born naturally good but through society becomes corrupt Morality corrupted by the shift from religion towards science The Social Contract "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"
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The Myth of Marie Antoinette
“At length I recollected the thoughtless saying of a great princess, who, on being informed that the country people had no bread, replied, Let them eat cake!”
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Goethe (b. 1749) Writer, scientist, musician, philosopher FAUST!
Contributed to psychology, anatomy, zoology, optics, mineralogy, meteorology
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Contributions to Psychology
Believed in exact observation of phenomena Pioneer in implosive therapy? Research on color vision
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Existentialism A happy, positive outlook on life… NOT!
Preoccupation with the consequences of using one’s free will in an isolated and hostile universe where depression, despair, and death abounds…
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Soren Kierkegaard (b. 1813) Founder of Existentialism
“Fear and Trembling” “The Concept of Dread” “Sickness unto Death”
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Kierkegaard’s Philosophy
The most important human activity is decision-making It is through the choices we make that we create ourselves and become ourselves Aesthetic vs. Ethical vs. Religious planes
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Friedrich Nietzsche (b. 1844)
“The Birth of Tragedy” “Human All Too Human” “Beyond Good and Evil” “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”
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Famous Quotes “God is Dead”
“Art raises its head when religions relax their hold” “A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.” “And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” “What does not kill him, makes him stronger.”
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Nietzsche’s Philosophy
Life is a largely meaningless business of suffering and striving Morals, ethics, and values are human creations “Will to Power” “The Superman” Dionysus/Apollo
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