PSY 810 - Historical Concepts of an Enduring Issue

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1 Running head: HISTORICAL CONCEPTIONS Historical Conceptions of an Enduring Issue Ashlee T. Byers PSY 810 – History and Systems of Psychology Grand Canyon University August 24, 2022

2 HISTORICAL CONCEPTIONS Introduction When considering the history of psychology as an academic discipline, there are several philosophers that come to mind. Their thoughts, theories, and vantage points laid the foundation for, and also shaped, the field into what it is today. A comparison and contrast of theories as presented by many of psychology’s forefathers has been presented through the years. Many theories have been confirmed, while others have been rejected or dismissed, through research and scientific processes that were not available during the conception of this beloved field. In this assignment, a comparison and contrast of Aristotle and Rene Descartes’ views on body, mind, and soul will be presented. This document will also present the comparison of vantage points regarding the nature of introspection of Edward B. Titchener, Auguste Comte, and Immanuel Kant. Body, Mind, & Soul To the unlearned, the concept of mind, body, and soul are all an intertwined and often synonymous concept. There are even songs that have attempted to speak on the relationship between all three words. The philosophers Aristotle and Rene Descartes have had long documented theories regarding these concepts. There has always been an understanding that a person’s emotions or thoughts can affect their bodies, but there is now a greater understanding of how a person’s emotions can affect their physical health, body, and even the longevity of their life. Regarding the concepts of soul and body, and how they relate, Plato and Aristotle had very contrasting views. While Plato had the understanding that a person’s soul is inside their body, Aristotle formed the opposing understanding that it was the soul that actually encompassed

3 HISTORICAL CONCEPTIONS the body. Aristotle’s belief was that the soul and the body were not two entities that can exist separate from each other, but that the soul is the entire being in which the physical, organic body is afforded the ability to operate. He then divides the soul into three different aspects which are responsible for separate actions. The rational soul, or logos, is responsible for reason, the nutritive soul is responsible for growth and nutrition, and the appetitive soul is responsible for governing a person’s desires (Olshewsky, 1976). His structure of the soul and its aspects have had a massive influence on both philosophy and science for over two millenniums. Now Rene Descartes, after Aristotle, took on a theoretical concept that corresponded more with that of Plato. The stated consensus has been that Descartes’ views aligned with Plato, but their two concepts were fundamentally different also. Although they both had differing opinions on which concept of mind and body encompassed the other, Descartes and Aristotle did share the view that there is a single soul, and that the soul operates specifically through one bodily organ. Descartes’ position on mind-body dualism eliminated the role of the soul as physiological and introduced the pineal gland as the primary holder of the soul as the place where each person’s thoughts are formed. Thus, his belief was that the soul had the ability to activate the body. His understanding was that the body already exists, and a knowledge of events causes physical events to occur. The body and soul are distinctly separate, with him considering the body a material substance and the soul to be an immaterial substance (Remnant, 1979). Introspection Introspection is a process that can technically have several definitions, but in regard to the field of psychology, it involves both a formal and informal experimental and researched

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