History of Psychology through Symbols

The History of Psychology through Symbols is a set of two volumes that offer a dynamic and engaging way to learn about or teach the history of psychology. Volume One expands the roots of psychology beyond the Greeks to concurrent events during the Axial Age (800 BCE-200 BCE), while Volume Two discusses how the early theories of voluntarism, structuralism, evolution, and pragmatism influenced the modern development of psychology. Both volumes emphasize the importance of how one lives and provide exercises to apply the lessons of psychological history to daily life.

Format: Mixed media product
Length: 664 pages
Publication date: 26 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

These two comprehensive volumes are an excellent resource for anyone interested in learning about or teaching the fascinating history of psychology. Whether you're a student, practitioner, scholar, or simply someone passionate about exploring the world of science, philosophy, history, systems, art, mental health, drug and alcohol treatment, or living history, these books have something to offer.

Volume One: The History of Psychology through Symbols

In Volume One, Karl Jaspers, a renowned German-Swiss psychiatrist, takes us on a groundbreaking journey by expanding the roots of psychology beyond the Greeks to concurrent events during the same period, known as the Axial Age (800 BCE-200 BCE). The Axial Age emphasized the pursuit of a universal connection that unites all humanity, focusing not on what one believed but on how one lived. This includes the human desire to connect to something greater, the totality of being human, which is explained through the universal language of symbols.

The Volume vividly describes the psychological implications of the Axial Age through the developments of various philosophical and religious traditions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Daoism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and Greek thought. Rooted in the Axial Age, Volume One explores how the Christian and Islamic eras influenced psychology, leading to the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution, which laid the historical foundations of modern psychology.

What sets this Volume apart is its rejection of the notion that science transcends historical events. Instead, it provides a political, socio-economic, and cultural context for all the historic developments. The chapter on the History of Mental Illness offers valuable insights and inspiration for a new mental health system, with specific recommendations for radical system reform. In keeping with the spirit.

Dimension: 246 x 189 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032545745