Summary Chapters on History of Psychology - Frank van
der Velde – latest edition
History of Psychology summary chapter 1-6. This is the whole summary that I
based on the book of prof. Frank van der Velde.
Course final grade: 8.8.
, Chapter 1
Wilhelm Wundt
Wilhelm Wundt was a German psychologist and is considered the founder of psychology. The laboratory he set
up in 1879 at the University of Leipzig is regarded as the beginning of psychology as an academic science.
Wundt regarded psychology as an experimental science and believed that psychological experiments were
limited to a limited number of phenomena (such as perception). He was also interested in the higher
psychological processes (such as language), but believed that these subjects were not suitable for experimental
research. Such subjects would be better discussed in philosophy.
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who lived around 350 BC. He wrote what can be considered as the first book
on psychology, called De Anima. He regarded the psyche as both the power of life and the power of feeling and
knowing. In modern terms, it can be said that he considered the psyche to be the basis of both biology and
psychology. These two different approaches have often faced each other in the history of psychology, and
Aristotle had an exceptional vision of combining them. Only now are we seeing these two approaches converge
again in areas such as biological psychology and neuropsychology.
The change of European societies after the fall of
the Roman Empire in the fifth century
The period between 500 and 1500 is known as the Middle Ages. Societies changed and started consisting of
different classes. At the top were the nobility and the church, and at the bottom were servants who lived and
worked on the lands of the nobility, and inhabitants of cities. With the fall of the Roman Empire, Greek and
Roman knowledge was lost and Europe entered a period of stagnation and degradation. Education was
conducted by the church, with an emphasis on the teachings of the church. Over time, the most prominent
religious schools developed into the first universities in Europe.
The role of Aristotle’s teaching in the education of
the church
Gradually, Roman knowledge and Greek philosophy became available within the universities that emerged
around the year 1200. The teachings of Plato and Aristotle were, in part, incorporated into the teachings of the
church. Two main ideas of Aristotle's philosophy, in particular, fitted well with the Church's vision. First, he
distinguished heaven from earth. Second, he believed that there is a "natural place" that all objects aspire to.
Mechanicism (in philosophy)
The new vision of the universe that emerged around the year 1600 is also called mechanicism or mechanicism. It
refers to the idea that all natural phenomena have an observable, physical explanation.
The change in worldview by scientists and
philosophers the universe around the year 1600
Around the year 1600, scientists and philosophers began to focus more on understanding how the universe
works, rather than explaining why the universe is the way it is. They also showed a shift in the underlying image
of what kind of universe we live in. The following scientists and philosophers can be considered partly
responsible for this shift:
der Velde – latest edition
History of Psychology summary chapter 1-6. This is the whole summary that I
based on the book of prof. Frank van der Velde.
Course final grade: 8.8.
, Chapter 1
Wilhelm Wundt
Wilhelm Wundt was a German psychologist and is considered the founder of psychology. The laboratory he set
up in 1879 at the University of Leipzig is regarded as the beginning of psychology as an academic science.
Wundt regarded psychology as an experimental science and believed that psychological experiments were
limited to a limited number of phenomena (such as perception). He was also interested in the higher
psychological processes (such as language), but believed that these subjects were not suitable for experimental
research. Such subjects would be better discussed in philosophy.
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who lived around 350 BC. He wrote what can be considered as the first book
on psychology, called De Anima. He regarded the psyche as both the power of life and the power of feeling and
knowing. In modern terms, it can be said that he considered the psyche to be the basis of both biology and
psychology. These two different approaches have often faced each other in the history of psychology, and
Aristotle had an exceptional vision of combining them. Only now are we seeing these two approaches converge
again in areas such as biological psychology and neuropsychology.
The change of European societies after the fall of
the Roman Empire in the fifth century
The period between 500 and 1500 is known as the Middle Ages. Societies changed and started consisting of
different classes. At the top were the nobility and the church, and at the bottom were servants who lived and
worked on the lands of the nobility, and inhabitants of cities. With the fall of the Roman Empire, Greek and
Roman knowledge was lost and Europe entered a period of stagnation and degradation. Education was
conducted by the church, with an emphasis on the teachings of the church. Over time, the most prominent
religious schools developed into the first universities in Europe.
The role of Aristotle’s teaching in the education of
the church
Gradually, Roman knowledge and Greek philosophy became available within the universities that emerged
around the year 1200. The teachings of Plato and Aristotle were, in part, incorporated into the teachings of the
church. Two main ideas of Aristotle's philosophy, in particular, fitted well with the Church's vision. First, he
distinguished heaven from earth. Second, he believed that there is a "natural place" that all objects aspire to.
Mechanicism (in philosophy)
The new vision of the universe that emerged around the year 1600 is also called mechanicism or mechanicism. It
refers to the idea that all natural phenomena have an observable, physical explanation.
The change in worldview by scientists and
philosophers the universe around the year 1600
Around the year 1600, scientists and philosophers began to focus more on understanding how the universe
works, rather than explaining why the universe is the way it is. They also showed a shift in the underlying image
of what kind of universe we live in. The following scientists and philosophers can be considered partly
responsible for this shift:
