Psychology: Greek Thinkers & Origins

• Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior.
• Studying psychology requires understanding its philosophical roots.
• Key questions in psychology include the origins of knowledge, the mind-body relationship, and methods for studying the mind (rationalism vs. empiricism).

The First Psychologists – The Greek Thinkers

• Thales explained the world through natural laws, identifying water as the fundamental element.
• Anaximander proposed that nature (physis) is infinite and introduced early evolutionary ideas.
• Heraclitus stated that everything is constantly changing.
• Pythagoras believed numbers explain reality and that the mind is separate from the body (dualism).
• Democritus suggested atomic theory where everything, including thoughts, consists of indivisible particles (atoms).

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle

• Socrates used the Socratic Method, teaching through questioning to promote critical thinking.
• Plato advocated rationalism where knowledge comes from thinking, not experience, and introduced the Theory of Forms, suggesting the world is an imperfect copy of a perfect reality.
• Aristotle emphasized empiricism, believing individuals are born as a blank slate (Tabula Rasa) and learn through experience, and that the mind and body are connected, inspiring scientific psychology, behaviorism, and neuroscience.

Hellenistic Philosophers

• Skepticism (Pyrrho): Avoid certainty and absolute truths.
• Epicureanism (Epicurus): Happiness is the absence of pain through moderation.
• Cynicism (Diogenes): Live naturally and reject social norms.
• Stoicism (Zeno & Marcus Aurelius): Control emotions, accept fate, and avoid material pursuits.
• These philosophies influenced modern therapy techniques like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness.

The Middle Ages & Renaissance

• Middle Ages: The Catholic Church controlled knowledge, slowing scientific progress.
• Renaissance (1400–1600): A period of renewed questioning and exploration.
• Peter Abelard: Advocated using reason to support faith.
• Thomas Aquinas: Combined Aristotle’s philosophy with Christian theology.
• William of Occam: Introduced Occam’s Razor, suggesting the simplest explanation is usually the best.
• The Renaissance revival of science and observation paved the way for modern psychology.

Psychology Becomes a Science

• Hobbes equated the mind solely with the brain.
• Locke proposed the Blank Slate Theory, asserting that we learn from experience.
• Berkeley argued that reality is based on perception.
• Hume stated that the assumption of cause and effect cannot be proven definitively.
• David Hartley proposed that learning occurs through the association of ideas.
• James & John Stuart Mill advocated utilitarianism, focusing on actions that benefit the most people.
• These thinkers established the groundwork for behaviorism, neuroscience, and learning psychology, influencing studies on behavior, memory, and perception.