A Sound Psychology
Epistemology
Ethics
Establish a sound psychology
1.
Gain proper perspective on modern psychology
2.
Present the nature of the science of psychology
a.
Identify the philosophic and theological foundation for a sound
psychology
i.
Consider an Ontological Structure of Man & his Acts
ii.
Define rational psychology
iii.
Define mental health and mental illness and their causes
b.
Identify how sound theological, philosophic and moral practices lead to
and contribute to sound mental health
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We are going to show that a valid science of psychology
possesses knowledge and principles that are lacking in modern psychology. We
will do this by
1.
Defining
a.
Psychology
b.
Man
c.
Valid science
2.
Demonstrating that modern psychology is an invalid science, because it
does not recognize the immaterial parts of man.
3.
Identify that this error stems from its failure to recognize its
sub-alternate position,
We will then consider the superior sciences and the principles
that they provide as fact to the science of psychology.
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1.
Define psychology, Man, valid science
2.
Modern Psychology
a.
Define view of man
i.
Christian view: Aquinas, Aristotle
ii.
Watson
3.
Is modern psychology a valid science?
4.
To what sciences is it sub-alternate and what is the importance of its
sub-alternate position?
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As we have already observed, recent writers commonly confine the
term psychology to the science of the phenomena of the mind. Thus William James,
probably the psychologist of widest influence during the past twenty years,
defines psychology as "The Science of Mental Life, both of its phenomena and
their conditions". ("Principles", I, 1). Wundt's definition is: "the science
which investigates the whole content of Experience in its relations to the
Subject". ("Outlines", 3rd ed., 3). Other writers describe it as, "the science
of the facts apprehended by our internal sense", or again, "the science of our
states of consciousness, their laws of succession and concomitancy". The common
feature of all these definitions is the limitation of the scope of psychology to
the phenomena of the mind directly observable by introspection. In this view it
is a purely positivist science from which all philosophical problems are to be
excluded, as rigorously as from chemistry or geology. It is, in fact; la
psychologie sans âme. If such questions as the nature, origin, or destiny of the
soul are to be discussed at all, it must be, according to these writers, not in
psychology, but in some branch of speculation to be styled the metaphysics or
ontology of the human mind, and to be completely isolated from science.
“The science which treats of the Soul and its operations”
“The branch of biological science which studies the phenomena of
conscious life and behavior, in their origin, development and manifestations,
and employing such methods as are available and applicable to the particular
field of study or particular problem with which the individual scientist is
engaged; the differences between psychologists are generally theoretical, rather
than scientific, differences, and in any case are far fewer, and scientifically
far less important, than the points of agreement;
the generally recognized branches of psychology are
Abnormal psychology
animal psychology
child psychology
genetic psychology
industrial psychology
social psychology
The general divisions, according to method of approach are:
Analytic
Behaviorist
Gestalt
Hormic
Introspective and statistical.”
Christian view: “Man is a composite of body and soul”
Behaviorist’ view: “Psychology as the behaviorist views it
is purely objective experimental branch of natural science. Its theoretical
goal is the prediction and control of behavior. Introspection forms no
essential part of its methods, nor is the scientific value of its data dependent
upon the readiness with which they lend themselves to interpretation in terms of
consciousness. The behaviorist, in his efforts to get a unitary scheme of
animal response, recognizes no dividing line between man and brute. The
behavior of man, with all of its refinement and complexity, forms only a part of
the behaviorists’ total scheme of investigation.”
Science is defined as an organized body of knowledge of things
through their causes.
Valid Science
Every valid science has three constituents
Material object--Subject Matter
Formal object—Point of View
Method—Mode of proceeding
One must know those things, which are required for each science to
be valid
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Because it sees man as only material and not immaterial
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The intellect has three parts
Passive Intellect
·
Is material and functions with the body
Agent Intellect
Possible intellect
·
These 2 are immaterial function independent of body
Intellect depends on other faculties
Some are immaterial. e.g. will
Psychology studies those secondarily
Therefore,
in order to be valid, modern psychology must recognize the immaterial.
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- Its subject matter is flawed and incomplete.
- Does not have an accurate understanding of the
nature of man. (Sees man as an organic substance without immaterial
–soul, parts of intellect, will, i.e. it sees these as being organic and
not immaterial.)
- Therefore its point of view willed be incomplete.
- Its conclusions will be flawed because they are
based upon inaccuracy.
Psychology
Is concerned with what is natural and proper to the intellect
“Then the goal of any science of psychology must, by its very
nature, arrive at the causes of mental health and illness. But this
presupposes knowledge of the intellect itself as well as those faculties
which may have some influence on the intellect.”[6]
Psychiatry
Is concerned with how that works itself out chemically or
biologically.
The subject will be chemical and biological here and thus
different from psychology.
Therefore, this could be a valid science as it only considers
what is material.
It would draw the notion of the immaterial nature from
psychology which would draw that from philosophy.
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Psychology is sub-alternate to superior sciences. (What is a
sub-alternate science?)
Modern psychology does not recognize this position and need.
Thus it errors about things that superior sciences know.
We will consider the superior sciences to form a proper
psychology.
A science may be contained in another
In a higher science there is given the reason for what the lower
science only knows as fact
Modern psychology does not recognize itself to be sub-alternate
Psychology is sub-alternate to:
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Psychology draws also from these
Psychology XE "Psychology"
is sub alternated first and foremost to the philosophy of man since it receives
its understanding about man’ nature and the nature of man’s faculties from this
science.
This is perhaps modern
psychology’s most notable failing, for it has proceeded in its science by
rejecting those principles, which are proper to a Thomistic/realist philosophy
of man. Since it did not begin with a clear philosophical understanding of the
nature of man and his faculties, it was bound to err.
Since psychology is a
sub-alternated science, it must assume its first principles from other sciences
and modern psychologist assumed the wrong principles. For that reason, the
method of modern psychology was not proportionate to its object because it did
not understand the object of its inquiry. Moreover, it assumed an empiricist
conception of man without giving sufficient reason for doing so and these
presumption lead to its errors.
The science of man,
esp. the study of man in relation to
-
distribution, origin,
classification, and relationship of races, physical character,
environment and social relations and culture.
Teaching about the origin, nature, and destiny of man,
Psychology is sub alternate to logic insofar as logic is
the art and science of right reasoning. In order for the intellect to be
healthy, it will have to comply with the principles of logic.
Psychology is sub alternate
to epistemology since that science tells us the nature of man’s knowledge, his
intellect and how he knows.
Psychology is sub alternate to ethics insofar as ethics
treats of the appetites and their right ordering and how they affect morally
right or wrong behavior
A full understanding of how man can gain and lose mental health
cannot be understood without a serious consideration of how spiritual realities
affect the operation of the faculties.
Ontology is the same as metaphysics
The deal with the nature of thing
How can psychology (study of the soul) find validity without
understanding the nature of things?
While these can be considered in general in metaphysics, the
actual operations of the things like grace, the sacraments, the demonic etc. can
only be understood in the light of revealed theology.
“A complete science of psychology will include both what is known
through the natural light of reason as well as what is known through the light
of faith. While the natural science of psychology can define mental illness and
health and their causes, a full understanding of those causes can only be
grasped when theological principles are likewise accepted. . . .the
material object of natural science of psychology will not be fully grasped
without and understanding of theological principles.”
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