Psych 397 Chapter 4

Front 1

Peter Abelard (1079-1142)

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One of the best-known university teachers in the twelfth century. His book Yes and No illustrated contradictions in the positions of past authorities. He argued for a stronger role for reason in Christian epistemology.

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Al-Ghazali (1058-1111)

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Author of The Incoherence of the Philosophers. Attacked the rationality of the Greeks and the concept of causality. Worked against scientific progress in Islam.

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Alhazen (956-1039)

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One of the greatest Islamic scientists whose Book of Optics is one of the most influential classic works on vision. He made many original contributions on topics such as depth perception, apparent size and binocular vision.

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Animal Spirits

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A concept that has enjoyed wide usage, especially in premodern times. In Galen's pneuma concept of the soul, the expression animal spirits was used to account for a vital psychological function, namely, the operation of higher cognitive functions. Animal spirits contrasted with natural spirits, which account for vegetative functions. See vital spirits.

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Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

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One of the greatest doctors of the church, remembered for his heroic efforts to reconcile faith and reason. He is also remembered for advancing an empirically based system of psychological thought.

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Asclepiades

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A popular Greek physician who practiced in Rome around 124 BCE. He distinguished between delusions and hallucinations and argued that therapy for emotional problems should be pleasant.

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Marcus Aurelius (121-180 CE)

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Roman emperor and stoic philosopher who emphasized the importance of enduring hardships that undoubtedly serve a larger purpose. The expression stoic resignation characterizes an important dimension of his thought.

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Averroes (1126-1198)

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An Islamic scholar very influential in Europe because of his commentaries on the works of Aristotle. Known also for many substantive scientific discoveries. He discovered that patients once infected with smallpox become immune if they survive the initial infection. He also discovered that the retina is the part of the eye sensitive to light.

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Avicenna (980-1037)

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An influential philosopher of the Islamic world who attempted to reconcile the tensions between revelation and reason. Also remembered for his Aristotelian approach to psychological problems.

Front 10

Roger Bacon (c.1220 - c.1292)

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One of the first to write on the sources of error in human thought. His catalog of errors included things such as being a slave to habit, relying too much on authority, giving in to popular prejudices, and conceit about one's own knowledge.

Front 11

Boethius (c.480 -524)

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Attempted to use reason that he learned from Greek thought as a defense of Christianity. Some have regarded him as a kind of founder of the intellectual agenda that was to dominate medieval thought.

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Sextus Empiricus

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Roman physician and skeptic who criticized dogmatic certainty and argued for the virtues associated with an attitude of suspended judgement.

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Epictetus (c.50 - c.135)

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A Roman stoic philosopher, popular in his day, who emphasized the stoic virtues of order, discipline, and resignation in those matters beyond our control.

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Epicureanism

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A philosophy based on the goodness of pleasure and the evil of pain. Epicureanism emphasized moderation and the capacity to forego immediate pleasures for long-term gains.

Front 15

Aurelius Augustine (354-430)

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One of the great doctors of the church who wrote extensively about a number or psychological topics including memory, grief, speech and dreams.

Front 16

Epicurus of Samos (341-270 BCE)

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An important post-Aristotelian philosopher who founded a school of thought that focused largely on how to live the good life by maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain.

Front 17

Galenus (c.129-c.199 CE)

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Rome's greatest physician, remembered for his early anatomical theories and his speculation on a host of medical problems including the problems of emotional illness.

Front 18

Heloise (c.1098-1164)

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A gifted scholar known primarily for her tragic love affair with Peter Abelard. Her letters illustrated a deep philosophy and psychology of the nature of loving relationships.

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Hypatia (c.370-415 CE)

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Neo-Platonic philosopher noted for her expertise in astronomy and geometry. Possibly one of the first to recommend music therapy for emotional disorders.

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Lucretius (c.96-c.55 BCE)

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Roman epicurean philosopher who wrote on a variety of psychological topics, often from the vantage points of the atomic theory of Democritus.

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Maimonides (1135-1204)

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Influential Jewish philosopher who attempted to reconcile the conflicting claims of reason and revelation. His book Guide for the Perplexed was widely read and highly controversial.

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Medieval Period

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The historical period from approximately 400-1300. Though it was a period marked by reliance on tradition, revelation, and authority, scholars attempted to find an acceptable role for reason and for observational studies.

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Natural Spirit

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In Galen's pneuma concept of the soul, natural spirit refers to those vital principles responsible for vegetative functions of the body.

Front 24

Neo-Platonism

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A school of philosophy founded in the third century that combined selected features of platonic philosophy with Jewish and Christian mysticism.

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Ockham's Razor

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The contention of William of Ockham that explanations containing fewer assumptions are to be preferred to those containing more assumptions.

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Plotinus (205-270 CE)

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Founder of neo-platonic philosophy and author of a six-volume series entitled Enneads. The works of Plotinus are a rich source of psychological thought on topics such as perception, sensation, memory and thinking.

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Pneuma

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Refers to the air we draw in as we breathe, but also refers to those vital principles that make life possible.

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Pyrrho (c.360-c.270 BCE)

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Founder of a systematic philosophy of skepticism. Also emphasized the importance of finding means to live a calm and untroubled existence.

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Rhazes (c.854-c.925)

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Physician and author of medical texts. Argued against demonology, superstitious religious beliefs and the arbitrary use of authority in science. He advocated a rational and empirical approach to the problems of medicine and psychology.

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Skepticism

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One of the major systematic approaches to philosophy following the death of Aristotle. The concerns of the skeptics were largely focused on the problems of epistemology and the good life.

Front 31

Stoicism

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A major post-Aristotelian philosophy emphasizing discipline and suppression of desire as means to the greatest happiness and virtue.

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Vital Spirit

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The Galen's pneuma concept of the soul, vital spirit refers to the activities located in the heart that regulate or control body heat.

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Terullian (c.155-230)

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An early Christian scholar remembered for his attacks on child sacrifice, the persecution of Christians and the brutality of the Roman games. Also remembered for his attacks on Greek philosophy and his emphasis on faith as opposed to reason.

Front 34

William of Ockham (c.1285-1349)

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An early philosopher friendly to empirical methods and strongly influenced by Thomas Aquinas. See Ockham's Razor.

Front 35

Zeno of Cyprus (c.335-c.263)

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Founder of the post-Aristotelian school of stoicism, which emphasized self-control, austerity and suppression as guides to virtue and happiness.