History of Psychology: Johns Hopkins's First Professorship in Philosophy: A Critical Pivot Point in the History of American Psychology (original) (raw)
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The first professorship in philosophy at Johns Hopkins University was contested in the early 1880s by two of the most prominent and influential scholars in America: Charles Sanders Peirce and George Sylvester Morris. A third figure also vied for the position, although he was much less well known at the time: Granville Stanley Hall. Through a series of unexpected circumstances, Hall ultimately won the professorship and then used it to leverage an extraordinary career that included his opening the first American research laboratory in psychology, establishing the American Journal of Psychology, becoming president of Clark University, founding the American Psychological Association, and profoundly affecting the character of developmental psychology in America.
History’s Influence: William James, America’s First Psychologist
This paper examines how the life and works of one individual, William James, “America’s first psychologist”, have influenced the current practice of modern psychology. Although James lived in the late nineteenth century, his ideas remain alive and vibrant in modern psychology, particularly among modern psychology’s emerging subfields and those arguing for the fusion of phenomenology, embodiment and cognitive neuroscience in the renewed search for a science of consciousness (Taylor, 2010). While James made many significant contributions to the contemporary practice of modern psychology, his text, The Principles of Psychology, is arguably the most important book in all of psychology’s history (Goodwin, 2008).
History of the History of Psychology (in press)
Reflexivity has been a common theme in the literature on the history of psychology in recent years. Reflecting on the history of psychology is for historians of psychology the ultimate reflexive step. Germany is widely regarded as the homeland of "modern" or "scientific" psychology. It is here that the oldest surviving work with the word, "psychology" in the title was published in 1590. It was also here that the first book with the title, "History of Psychology" [Geschichte der Psychologie] was published in 1808. This reflects the fact that a substantial literature on psychology had already been published in Continental Europe by the end of the eighteenth century. Several other works on the history of psychology were published in German-speaking countries in the nineteenth century and in the years leading up to the First World War. English-speaking countries were relatively late in adopting psychology but it grew rapidly in the United States when it was adopted and the country was already the dominant power in the field by the outbreak of the First World War. Several works on the history of psychology were published in the United States around the same time, suggesting that disciplines and disciplinary history tend to appear simultaneously. This is because disciplines use their history to create a distinct identity for themselves. The history of psychology was widely taught in American psychology departments and several textbooks were published to support these courses. E. G. Boring's A History of Experimental Psychology (1929/1950) was by far the most influential of these textbooks and it has profoundly shaped the understanding of psychologists of the history of their field. For example, it was Boring who traced the history of the discipline to the establishment of Wilhelm Wundt's laboratory for experimental psychology at the University of Leipzig in 1879. 1979/80 was widely celebrated as the "centennial" of psychology and the XXII International Congress of Psychology was held in Leipzig to mark the occasion. Prior to the 1960s, the history of psychology was mainly a pedagogical field and it still is as far as many psychologists are concerned. However, it also became an area of specialization during this decade. This was partly due to a few psychologists adopting it as their main area of interest and partly due to historians of science becoming more interested in the field. A large body of scholarly literature has been produced, including some scholarly textbooks, but this literature exists side-by-side with more traditional textbooks for which there is still a significant demand. There are signs that the history of psychology has been facing difficulties as a branch of psychology in Europe and North America in recent years. However, interest in the field has been growing among psychologists in other parts of the world and among historians of science. This situation will inevitably have implications for the content of the field.
The field of psychology established itself as a study in the late 1800’s through the contributions of many psychologists, theorists, and concepts pertaining to the human mind, behaviors, and purpose. During the pre-modernism era, fundamental thoughts and ideas were composed without a specific place to be directed. However, in Germany, doctors and philosophers such as Wundt contributed to the uprising of a field that was dedicated to the study of thoughts and concepts. The development of psychology progressed greatly through modernism by taking a scientific approach and establishing groundbreaking theories that would define the field. Several psychologists such as Freud, Pavlov, Watson, and Skinner implanted their efforts into making the field of psychology logical, practical, and scientific which led to the growth of what is psychology during the post-modernism era. New psychologists emerged to revise existing theories from the founding fathers and created an updated format of future ideas that reflect society today. Ideas such as existentialism developed into humanistic psychology while the contribution of women and minorities were added to the history of psychology. Overall, the study of the thoughts, ideas, and behaviors was a rough draft concept that lacked a foundation until the pre-modernism era. The development of psychology has taken a course through its roots in Germany and planted itself in American history. Due to the effort and contribution of researchers, the field of psychology has found a scientific path that legitimizes the purpose and study for the human mind and behavior.
The Impact William James had on American Psychology
This paper will discuss the contribution William James has on psychology in the United Stated. It will explore the early life of William James, particularly his family dynamic, to illustrate how James is effected by this in his later life. It will go in depth on his life during his adolescent year and his education as it relates to the field of psychology. It will mention, the influence James has had on psychology in America, and the hand he had in shaping it in introducing it into the curriculum of Harvard University. Secondly, it will analyze his most influential literature work “the Principles of Psychology.” In the book, he explain to the relationship between physiology and psychology, in book eventually inspires functionalism. Lastly, it will discuss James’s Theory of Memory, and the impact it has had on how this subject area has been studied.
Commentary 1: Functions and Trends in the History of Psychology
2016
In this chapter, I comment on the ten aspects listed by Roger Smith to show the usefulness of historical research in psychology. Thereby, I characterize and evaluate different historiographic trends. History should be seen as a way of acquiring perspective, and it should offer a conceptual tool for comparison between different epistemological approaches. It is also instrumental in analysis of the social dynamics involved in knowledge construction. In general, therefore, a connection between the history of psychology and the broader field of the history of science seems fruitful.
William James and the National Academy of Sciences
William James Studies, 2009
Williams James's 1903 election to the National Academy of Sciences has long been understood as well-deserved recognition for his scientific achievement and as evidence that other sciences had begun to accept the "new psychology" as a peer discipline. This note offers a detailed review of the complex course of events that led to James's election -presented within the context of the Academy's own history -that illustrates just how a