PSY 3121 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: James Mill, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, John Stuart Mill
Document Summary
Philosophical foundations of the new psychology: positivism, materialism and. Positivism = the doctrine that recognizes only the natural phenomena or facts that are objectively observable. Comte took a systematic survey of all human knowledge. Worked only on facts that were beyond question (those determined by science) Other ideas were also supported by metaphysical positivism. Ideas became the dominant force in the european zeitgeist of the late 1800s. Materialism = the doctrine that considered the facts of the universe to be sufficiently explained in physical terms by the existence and nature of matter. Every human consciousness could be understood in terms of principles of physics and chemistry. Yet another group of philosophers advocated for empiricism. All knowledge is derived from sensory experiences. The mind grows through progressive accumulation of sensory experiences. Contrast descarte view that some ideas are innate. Known throughout europe as a champion of liberalism in government. Major contribution to psychology = an essay concerning human understanding .
