Prescientific Psychology 1. I.Monism vs. Dualism Dualism → holds that humans have a dual nature- one part mental and the other physical → mind and body.

Prescientific PsychologyPrescientific Psychology

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I.I. Monism vs. DualismMonism vs. DualismDualism → holds that humans have a Dualism → holds that humans have a dual nature- one part mental and the dual nature- one part mental and the other physical → mind and body are other physical → mind and body are distinctdistinct

Monism → holds that only one type of Monism → holds that only one type of nature exists → mind and body are nature exists → mind and body are connected connected

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SocratesSocrates and and PlatoPlato viewed the mind as viewed the mind as separate from the separate from the body (Dualism). body (Dualism). Believed the mind Believed the mind existed after death. existed after death.

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Rene DescartesRene Descartes (1595- 1650) agreed with (1595- 1650) agreed with Socrates and Plato. However, he also Socrates and Plato. However, he also believed the immaterial mind and the believed the immaterial mind and the physical body could communicate physical body could communicate (believed they communicated through the (believed they communicated through the pineal glandpineal gland, a small gland near the brain). , a small gland near the brain).

Figure 6. The Pineal Gland According to Descartes. This image from the 1664 edition of the Treatise of man illustrates Descartes' view that the pineal gland (H) is suspended in the middle of the ventricles (Descartes 1664, p. 63). 44

Socrates (469-399 B.C.) → Plato → Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)Socrates (469-399 B.C.) → Plato → Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

(Socrates taught Plato who taught Aristotle)(Socrates taught Plato who taught Aristotle)

• Aristotle→ derived principles from careful observation → believed that the mind was not separable from the body (Monism)

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Locke (see below) → monismLocke (see below) → monism

Thomas Hobbes → very radical view that Thomas Hobbes → very radical view that the notion of a soul, mind or spirit was the notion of a soul, mind or spirit was meaningless and distracting → said meaningless and distracting → said thoughts were purely by-products of thoughts were purely by-products of physical phenomenaphysical phenomena

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II.II. Some ideas are inborn vs. Mind is a blank slateSome ideas are inborn vs. Mind is a blank slateSocrates and Plato believed some ideas and Socrates and Plato believed some ideas and knowledge were preset at birthknowledge were preset at birth

AristotleAristotle (again “rebelled”) believed (again “rebelled”) believed that knowledge was NOT preexisting. that knowledge was NOT preexisting.

John LockeJohn Locke (1632-1704) also rejected idea of innate (1632-1704) also rejected idea of innate knowledge or inborn ideas knowledge or inborn ideas

Tabula rasa → refers to the mental content of a Tabula rasa → refers to the mental content of a newborn, the empiricist notion that the mind is newborn, the empiricist notion that the mind is initially a “blank slate” to be written upon by initially a “blank slate” to be written upon by experienceexperience

Locke also believed the mind and body were oneLocke also believed the mind and body were one

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EmpiricismEmpiricism → The view that knowledge → The view that knowledge originates in experience and that science originates in experience and that science and the acquisition of knowledge should and the acquisition of knowledge should rely on observation and scientific rely on observation and scientific experimentationexperimentation

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