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The Philosophy Of Modern Day Psychology

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Perhaps almost all branches of knowledge as we know them today have a strong link with ancient civilizations. The ancient Greek civilization is one of them. Not that the contribution of other ancient civilizations such as the Mayan or Egyptian are of less importance, it’s just that the ancient Greeks can be accredited for being the promoters of the natural sciences. Psychology as we know today is the study of mental functions and behaviors, however it is believed that psychology stemmed out of philosophy. The word psychology in Greek translates as psuche which means the vital breath or the human soul. Philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle have had great influence on the ideas of modern day psychology. There interpretations of the mind, soul, and behavior have a strong association with the thoughts and theories of psychologists such as Freud, Skinner, Pavlov, and others. Socrates is considered the founding figure of western philosophy. There are no writings by Socrates himself, much of what we know comes from Plato’s Dialogues. That being said Socrates asks Crito, “Do we believe, that the part of our make-up, whatever it is, which right and wrong concern is of less importance than the body?” (Robinson 337). This here indicates that Socrates had already brought up the concept of the mind and the human body. It seems as if with this question he is trying to test his friend Crito’s knowledge, when Socrates knows that the mind and body are of equal

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