The field of psychology has become increasingly vital in the modern era, as individuals struggle to find meaning and purpose in a world that can often feel confusing and overwhelming. Unfortunately, many people have turned to unfounded beliefs and pseudoscience in search of answers. This is where philosophy and philosophical thinking can provide a crucial foundation for understanding ourselves and the world around us.
On this blog, I explore various psychological beliefs from a philosophical perspective, analyzing their validity, soundness, and reliability. By delving deep into these issues, we can gain a more accurate understanding of the human psyche and how it shapes our behavior.
As C.S. Lewis once noted, bad philosophy needs to be answered, and that is precisely what I aim to do here. By engaging with philosophical questions surrounding psychology, we can develop a more comprehensive understanding of the world and ourselves. Through this pursuit of knowledge, we can become more optimistic and lead more fulfilling lives. Join me as we explore the fascinating intersection of philosophy and psychology.
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic and religious author who is thought to be the father of existentialism. His writings span over various topics including psychology, Christianity, ethics, morality, and poetry. Among his many works there are two that stand out to me more than the others, The Sickness Unto Death and The Concept of Anxiety. Both of these works are more psychological in nature. The Sickness Unto Death was written in 1849 under the pseudonym Anti-Climacus. The book is about his concept of despair which he relates back to the Christian idea of original sin. The Concept of Anxiety was published in 1844 under the pseudonym Vigilius Haufniensis. Throughout the book he deals with anxiety which he describes as an unfocused fear or a "dizziness of freedom."Kierkegaard himself suffered from anxiety and throughout his life experienced great tragedy and loss. By the time Kierkegaard was 35, he had lost both his parents and all his brothers and sisters except for one. This for clear reasons leads him to struggle with what he called melancholy and what we moderns would call depression. This melancholy coupled with his anxiety provided him with an insider's understanding of the topics he wrote about. Below, you will find ten quotes from his most notable works The Sickness Unto Death, The Concept of Anxiety, Either/Or: A Fragment of Life, and The Journals of Kierkegaard.
I went to my psychiatrist to be psychoanalyzed
To find out why I killed the cat and blacked my husband’s eye.
Martin Seligman is the father of positive psychology. He developed the field over the steadily over his years of research, teaching, and therapy. It began with his work on learned helplessness which eventually resulted in his noticing the lack of study in the area of mental well-being. Seligman noted that the field of psychology, since its inception, has only focused on mental illness. The thought that previously dominated the field was "if we fix all the negative, we will be left with a healthy happy patient". Seligman found that once you heal all the negative in your patient, you are not left with a healthy one but rather an empty one.
Viktor E. Frankl was a Holocaust survivor, a psychiatrist, and the founder of logotherapy, which loosely translates to purpose/meaning therapy. Logotherapy is also referred to as the "Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy". Frankl is the author of more than 15 books. Among his most famous books is Man's Search for Meaning (1946), The Will to Meaning (1969), and The Unconscious God (1943). In each of these books, there is one common thread, man cannot live without meaning. Below you will find ten insightful quotes from Man's Search for Meaning (1946).
The publisher said of somebody, "That man will get on; he believes in himself." I said to him, "Shall I tell you where the men are who believe most in themselves?
