HIS-3464 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Jeremy Bentham, Immanuel Kant, Tabula Rasa
Document Summary
The establishment of psychology, sociology, and anthropology in the 20th century. Rene descartes" dualism: mechanical philosophy only applied to body, mind was separate and not mechanical (divine in nature) Human nature was considered a question for philosophers and theologians. This shift began in the wake of darwin"s theory. Reaction to social darwinism and biological determinism. If humans are animals, then behavior could be understood through biology. The mechanical philosophy (after descartes) pushed this model. Herbert spencer: social darwinism, lamarck, eugenics. John locke: tabula rasa: idea of mental development. You are born without any pre-ideas; you are born a blank slate. Over time, you have experiences and those experiences are mapped into your brain: brain a learning machine. Jeremy bentham: utilitarianism, greatest good for the greatest number , linked to legal system. Immanuel kant: opposed blank slate , mind intercepts (based on biology) Herbert spencer: wrote principles of psychology (1855, lamarckian evolution, inherited traits.
