Compare and contrast the views of Galileo and Bacon. Explain why these two scientists had an impact on the development of psychology.
Galileo studied the universe and how the only way to understand it was through mathematics. Galileo believed that all motions are directed by mathematical laws and believed in Pythagoras theory. He was a realist and taught of rational deduction. Galileo changed the view of humans, instead of being part of a whole in the universe, our experiences such as pleasure was inferior to the outside world humans practiced (Hergenhahn & Henley, 2014). Galileo actually omitted what we know as psychology today as a science.
Like Galileo, Francis Bacon challenged Aristotle’s theories and were both contemporaries, but taught science as induction. Bacon believed that the only thing involved in an observation should be the facts that you see, this way there is no pre conceived notion of the observation. Mathematics and rationalism was not included in Bacons study and only considered observation as the science. Observation forms into generalization and you can see the differences and similarities between the object. Bacons has had an impact on psychology because he finds that in observable behavior and an understanding of behavior can predict and control said behavior (Macdonald, P., 2007).
•Compare the basic principles of Rene Descartes, Immanuel Kant, and John Locke. How do these principles differ in their perspectives of the mind-body relationship? What do these principles add to the comprehensive understanding of psychology as a science?
Rene Descartes believed ideas were innate and brought on by a more perfect power like god. Descartes research brought back experience being completely subjective. Descartes believed in dualism, the body was a physical process and the mind was not. If the body were to go through a physical experience the mind would have to have some sort of influence on it. Descartes mind-body relationship teachings paved the way for a new understanding of philosophy and psychology.
John Locke believed that knowledge comes from the sensory experience, how the mind works is part of human nature. The minds ideas from sensations can form into many other ideas that the brains sensory stimulation can manage. Locke states that complex ideas are based from simple ideas analyzed more in depth. This goes against Descartes philosophy of innate ideas that God gave human beings.
Immanuel Kant was a rationalist who thought sensory and innate images were a combination of what makes an idea, expanding Descartes innate ideas. An idea is not a concept. There are categories the mind divides its thoughts into. Thinking must come from some sort of prior knowledge, before an experience is had. Kant enhanced the empiricists understanding of experience and showed there was more exercise into the minds ideas.
These principles add an understanding to psychology as a science because they are researching how the body and mind are affected by each other. With little knowledge of how the brain actually works back then, they started the way for how we today understand the brain. How the mind effects our daily life and physical activity. We now know that certain parts of the brain affect certain emotions and have an understanding of how imbalances in the brain can greatly alter a person’s actions or thoughts.
•Explain the cultural and even nationalistic influences on how the different schools of thought developed (positivism, rationalism, and empiricism)? Explain how theological or religious beliefs influence the different schools of thought as they had done to the philosophical views of early centuries?
A major influence on positivism was from a Frenchman name Auguste Comte. British empiricists and French sensationalists all shared the same belief that knowledge comes from experience. Forming a new belief of scientism and human problems are a science not a religion.
Empiricism was influenced by many British men, many of these men were college educated. Mental sciences aligned with natural sciences. These men took politics, religion and law and transformed them into revolutionary basis for science. Humanity and reason is what they focused on as a religion. Empiricism is essential in the human mind and is established through philosophical notion
Rationalism attains to deductive reasoning. Developing from those believing that our truths are not just what we experience but through logical processes the mind goes through. An active mind is an important part of Rationalism, deeper understanding of how innate our senses are. Reason show reality
During the French revolution the Catholic Church was destroyed and ideas of Enlightenment starts the scientific revolution. Mathematical and philosophic viewpoints and laws are starting to guide philosophers into natural science and detail phenomena. Promoting philosophy, theology took new methods and created new principles for practice.
References
Hergenhahn, B. R., & Henley, T. B. (2014). An introduction to the history of psychology.
Macdonald, P. S. (2007). Francis bacon’s behavioral psychology. J. Hist. Behav. Sci. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 43(3), 285-303
