Introduction
Psychologists claim that psychology and philosophy are different entities because psychology is considered a science while philosophy is considered an art. However, the two are related because psychology originated from philosophy. Psychology originated from philosophy and physiology (Hergenhahn, 2008). It was not until the 1800s that psychology emerged as a distinct scientific discipline. Its earliest history dates back to the works of ancient Greeks. Rene Descartes is credited with developing psychology from the theory of dualism. He postulated that the mind and body are separate entities whose interactions come together to form human experience (Hergenhahn, 2008). Other philosophers who contributed towards development of psychology from philosophy include John Stuart Mill, John Locke, David Hume, Wilhelm Wundt, and George Berkeley
Philosophers involved in development of psychology
Ancient philosophers who heralded the beginning of psychology as a proper discipline include Rene Descartes, Emmanuel Kant, David Hume, John Stuart Mill, John Locke, Wilhelm Wundt, George Berkeley Aristotle, and Plato (Goodwin, 2008). Rene Descartes made the most notable contribution towards development of psychology from philosophy. With his theory of dualism, he described the mind and body as entirely different entities whose experiences coalesced to impart knowledge (Goodwin, 2008). After this discovery, he developed the theory by describing how the brain works. This was a great contribution to the field of psychology.
Western philosophers who contributed to development of psychology include John Locke, George Berkeley, David Hume, and David Hartley. Locke described how people acquire knowledge and understand the world (Goodwin, 2008). He stated that the mind is blank at birth but is later filled with experiences from everyday living. He believed that knowledge was obtained from interacting with the world. Berkeley made his contribution through his analysis of visual perception, which he based on the arguments of empiricist philosophers (Goodwin, 2008). Hume made a distinction between impressions and ideas. In addition, he formulated rules of resemblance. Finally, Hartley developed a model that explained the functioning of the nervous system (Goodwin, 2008).
Development of psychology during the 19th century
In the 19th century, great developments were made in the field of psychology. Wilhelm Wundt published a book that discussed the association between physiology and human behavior (Green et al, 2001). In 1879, he built a laboratory at Leipzig University that served for the sole purpose of studying psychology. The opening of the laboratory marked the beginning of psychology as a separate entity from other scientific disciplines. William James laid a strong foundation by presenting psychological questions that formed a basis for future psychological investigations (Green et al, 2001).
James’s thoughts and ideas that were published in his book formed a foundation for psychological discussions that led to the founding of a school of thought referred to as functionalism (Green et al, 2001). The school of thought was monumental in development of other schools of thought that advanced the field of psychology. He collaborated with Edward Titchener to demonstrate the distinction between philosophy and psychology (Green et al, 2001). The first psychology laboratory in the United States was established in 1883 by Stanley Hall at Clark University. Other contributors included Herman Ebbinghaus and Ivan Pavlov. Ebbinghaus pioneered the study of memory while Pavlov investigated the process of learning and developed the concept of classical conditioning (Green et al, 2001).
During the 1890s, Sigmund Freud made significant contributions to psychotherapy (Goodwin, 2008). His understanding of the functioning of the mind relied on information obtained from meditation and interpretive methods. His studies focused on finding ways to eradicate mental stress and explored psychopathology. His theories were significant in development of psychology because they covered subjects such as sexuality and repression, which constitute a vital part of psychological development (Goodwin, 2008). He covered topics that were considered taboo. Therefore, he elicited discussions and debates that contributed towards development of psychology. Several scientists worked together to formulate the laws of perception. They included Gustav Fechner, Herrmann Ludwig von Helmholtz, and Wilhelm Wundt. Helmholtz’s postulates on perception changed how people understood vision and perception (Goodwin, 2008). Other notable contributors included Broca and Wernicke who described how language is comprehended by the brain.
Conclusion
Psychology was developed in the 19th century and owes its development of philosophers such as Rene Descartes, Emmanuel Kant, David Hume, John Stuart Mill, John Locke, and George Berkeley. It was not until the 1800s that psychology emerged as a separate entity from the fields of philosophy and physiology. Its earliest history dates back to ancient Greeks. Ancient philosophers that heralded the beginning of psychology as a distinct discipline include Rene Descartes, Emmanuel Kant, David Hume, John Stuart Mill, John Locke, Wilhelm Wundt, George Berkeley Aristotle, and Plato. Rene Descartes made the most notable contribution to psychology from the field of philosophy. He developed the theory of dualism that describes the mind and body as different and with unique experiences. In the 19th century, the field of psychology was developed by contributions from people such as Sigmund Freud, Wilhelm Wundt, Gustav Fechner, and Herrmann Ludwig von Helmholtz.
References
Goodwin, C. J. (2008). A history of modern psychology (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Jon Wiley & Sons.
Green, C., Shore, M., and Toerey, T. (2001). The Transformation of Psychology: Influences of 19th Century Philosophy, Technology, and Nature Science. New York: Amer Psychological Association.
Hergenhahn, B. (2008). An Introduction to the History of Psychology. New York: Cengage learning.