The Philosophical Background and Scientific Legacy of E. B. Titchener's Psychology: Understanding Introspectionism
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The Philosophical Background and Scientific Legacy of E. B. Titchener's Psychology : Understanding Introspectionism. / Beenfeldt, Christian.
Cham : Springer Science+Business Media, 2013. 85 p. (SpringerBriefs in Philosophy).Research output: Book/Report › Book › peer-review
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TY - BOOK
T1 - The Philosophical Background and Scientific Legacy of E. B. Titchener's Psychology
T2 - Understanding Introspectionism
AU - Beenfeldt, Christian
PY - 2013/5/25
Y1 - 2013/5/25
N2 - This volume offers a new understanding of Titchener’s influential system of psychology popularly known as introspectionism, structuralism and as classical introspective psychology. Adopting a new perspective on introspectionism and seeking to assess the reasons behind its famous implosion, this book reopens and rewrites the chapter in the history of early scientific psychology pertaining to the nature of E. B. Titchener’s psychological system. Arguing against the view that Titchener’s system was undone by an overreliance on introspection, the author explains how this idea was first introduced by the early behaviorists in order to advance their own theoretical agenda. Instead, the author argues that the major philosophical flaw of introspectionism was its utter reliance on key theoretical assumptions inherited from the intellectual tradition of British associationism—assumptions that were upheld in defiance of introspection, not because of introspection. The book is divided into three parts. In Part I, British associationism is examined thoroughly. The author here discusses the psychology of influential empiricist philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, David Hume, David Hartley, James Mill, and John Stuart Mill. In Part II of the book, Titchener’s introspectionist system of psychology is examined and analyzed. In Part III, the author argues that Titchener’s psychology should be understood as a form of associationism and explains how analysis, not introspection, was central to introspectionism.
AB - This volume offers a new understanding of Titchener’s influential system of psychology popularly known as introspectionism, structuralism and as classical introspective psychology. Adopting a new perspective on introspectionism and seeking to assess the reasons behind its famous implosion, this book reopens and rewrites the chapter in the history of early scientific psychology pertaining to the nature of E. B. Titchener’s psychological system. Arguing against the view that Titchener’s system was undone by an overreliance on introspection, the author explains how this idea was first introduced by the early behaviorists in order to advance their own theoretical agenda. Instead, the author argues that the major philosophical flaw of introspectionism was its utter reliance on key theoretical assumptions inherited from the intellectual tradition of British associationism—assumptions that were upheld in defiance of introspection, not because of introspection. The book is divided into three parts. In Part I, British associationism is examined thoroughly. The author here discusses the psychology of influential empiricist philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, David Hume, David Hartley, James Mill, and John Stuart Mill. In Part II of the book, Titchener’s introspectionist system of psychology is examined and analyzed. In Part III, the author argues that Titchener’s psychology should be understood as a form of associationism and explains how analysis, not introspection, was central to introspectionism.
KW - Faculty of Humanities
KW - philosophy
KW - psychology
KW - history of philosophy
KW - history of science
KW - introspection
KW - introspectionism
KW - associationism
KW - structuralism
KW - empiricism
KW - experience
M3 - Book
SN - 9783319002422
T3 - SpringerBriefs in Philosophy
BT - The Philosophical Background and Scientific Legacy of E. B. Titchener's Psychology
PB - Springer Science+Business Media
CY - Cham
ER -
ID: 45989665