Psychology

Front 1

Associationism

Back 1

Associationism in philosophy refers to the idea that mental processes operate by the association of one state with its successor states.

The idea is first recorded in Plato and Aristotle, especially with regard to the succession of memories.

Members of the principally British "Associationist School", including John Locke, David Hume, James Mill and John Stuart Mill, asserted that the principle applied to all or most mental processes. Later members of the school developed very specific principles elaborating how associations worked and even a physiological mechanism bearing no resemblance to modern neurophysiology.[citation needed] For a fuller explanation of the intellectual history of associationism and the "Associationist School", see Association of Ideas.

Front 2

Francis Bacon

Back 2

early modern phiosopher of science who called for a close examination of the problem of knowledge and increased sensitivity to sources of error. A powerful advocate of a critical empirical inductive method.

Front 3

Alexander Bain

Back 3

founded the journal mind the first psychological journal

Front 4

Jeremy Bentham

Back 4

founder of utilitarianism. Argued against intuitive approaches to jurisprudence that resulted in punishments that do not fit the crime and argued for a rational system of punishments and rewards and the need to maximize pleasure for the greatest possible number of people.

Front 5

George Berkely

Back 5

Argued that real world is not the world of matter but the world of experience. Dictum Esse est percipi. marks him as one of the most radical of the early empiricists. Advanced an early empirical approach to depth perception attempting to demonstrate that we learn to see in depth.

Front 6

Etienne Condillac

Back 6

french radical empiricist who attempted to show specifically how all knowledge could derive from associations that start with simple sensations

Front 7

empiricism

Back 7

a philosophical position that emphasizes the importance of experience, observation, and learning in the acquisition of knowledge.

Front 8

essentialism

Back 8

belief in the possibility of discerning the fundamental character or intrinsic nature of something.

Front 9

Hardening

Back 9

an early concept that emphasized the beneficial role of self imposed hardships.

Front 10

David Hartley

Back 10

founder of modern associationism and one of the first to establish a classification system of pleasure and pains

Front 11

Associationism

Back 11

systematic emphasis on the idea that human knowledge is not innate but grows inevitably out of the gradual buildup of associations from sensory data.

Front 12

Claude Adrien Helvetius

Back 12

materialist who argued that human actions can be explained on the basis of rewards and punishments. Considered radical and forced to raecant.

Front 13

David Hume

Back 13

Empiricist who advanced the view that causality is not a property of objects and therefore there are no necessary connections. Causality is thus reduced to a psychological problem and is based on consistent conjunction and our ways of making sense of the successive events in the world.

Front 14

Idols

Back 14

a term employed by francis bacon referring to phantoms of the mind. Idols are sources of error such as excessive reliance on authority that blind us in our quest for truth

Front 15

idols of the cave

Back 15

local prejudices or strongly preferred hypothesies or theories that interfere with objective responses to data

Front 16

idols of the marketplace

Back 16

the temptation to take words too seriously so that naming is confused with explaining. To guard against the idols of the marketplace, one must constantly reexamine definitions and understand the deceptive dimensions of language.

Front 17

idols of the theatre

Back 17

errors of thought based on the easy acceptance of authority or the naive acceptance of a popular paradigm

Front 18

idols of the tribe

Back 18

errors of thought resulting from inherent human limitations such as sensory distortions and the tendency to overgeneralize.

Front 19

John Locke

Back 19

one of the greatest philosophers of english speech who insisted that the mind at birth is like a blank slate devoid of characters or ideas. His emphasis on the centrality of experience and learning elevated the importance of universal education.

Front 20

James Mill

Back 20

British philosopher who advanced an uncompromising mechanistic approach to associationism. Argued strongly for education of masses.

Front 21

John Stewart Mill

Back 21

Envisioned of science of human nature based on probabilistic notions. Also one of the first to deplore the subjugation of women.

Front 22

primary qualities

Back 22

qualities such as figure, extension, and solidity that are presumed to inhere in objects.

Front 23

psychological hedonism

Back 23

belief that human beings seek in all things to gain pleasure and avoid pain

Front 24

secondary qualities

Back 24

powers of objects that contribute to specific sensations such as colours, tastes, and sounds

Front 25

solipsism

Back 25

a subjective philosophical position that makes the claim that the only possible knowledge is self-knowledge.

Front 26

harriet taylor

Back 26

wife of john stuart mill influenced him on feminism

Front 27

Utilitarianism

Back 27

a philosophy advanced by jeremy bentham emphasizing the idea that the moral basis of action should be the greatest good for the greatest number.

Front 28

voltaire francois

Back 28

advanced cause of new philosophies based on observation and experiment. his sharp attacks on untestable theories and theological dogma continually placedh im at risk

Front 29

mary wollstonecraft

Back 29

the most visible early pioneer in the battle for the rights of women .

Front 30

Peter Abelard

Back 30

one of the best known university teachers in the twelfth century. his book yes and no illustrated contradictions in the position of past authorities. he argued for a stronger role for reason in christian epistemology.

Front 31

al-ghazali

Back 31

author of the incoherence of the philosophers. attacked the rationalist of the greeks and the concept of causality. worked against scientific progress in islam.

Front 32

alhazen

Back 32

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 such topics as depth perception, apparent size and binocular vision.

Front 33

Animal spirits

Back 33

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 accont for a vital psychological function namely the operation of higher cognitive functions. animal spirits contrasted with natural spirits, which account for vegetative functions.

Front 34

thomas quinas

Back 34

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

Front 35

Asclepiades

Back 35

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 prersent.

Front 36

Aurelius Augustine

Back 36

doctors of the church ho wrote extensively about a number of psychological topics including memory grief speech and dreams

Front 37

Averroes

Back 37

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.

Front 38

Avicenna

Back 38

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 39

Roger bacon

Back 39

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

Front 40

Boethius

Back 40

attempted to use reason that he learned from greek thought as a defense of christianity. some have regarded as a kind of founder of the intellectual agenda that was to dominate medieval thought.

Front 41

epictetus

Back 41

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

Front 42

epicureanism

Back 42

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 43

epicurus

Back 43

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

Front 44

Galen

Back 44

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 45

heloise

Back 45

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.

Front 46

Hypatia

Back 46

neo-platonic philosopher noted for her expertise in astronomy and geometry. possibly one of the first to recommend music therapy for emotional disorders.

Front 47

lucretius

Back 47

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

Front 48

Maimonides

Back 48

Influential jewish philosopher who attempted to reconcile the conflicting claims of reason and revelation. his book guide for the perplexed was widely read

Front 49

Marcus Aurelius

Back 49

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.

Front 50

Medieval period

Back 50

the historical period from approximately 400 to 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.

Front 51

natural spirit

Back 51

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

Front 52

neo-platonism

Back 52

a school of philosophy founded in the third century that combined selected features of platonic philosophy with jewish and christian mysticism.

Front 53

ockham's razor

Back 53

the contention of william of ockham that explanations containing fewer assumptions are to be preferred to those containing more assumptions

Front 54

Plotinus

Back 54

founder of neo-platonic philosophy and author of a six volume series entitled Enneads. The workd of plotinus are a rich source of psyhchological thought on such topics as perception, sensation and thinking.

Front 55

pneuma

Back 55

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

Front 56

pyrrho

Back 56

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

Front 57

rhazes

Back 57

physician and author of medical texts. argued against demonology, superstitous religious beliefs, and the arbitrary use of authority in science. he advocated a rational and empirical approach to the problems of medicine and psychology.

Front 58

sextus empiricus

Back 58

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

Front 59

skepticism

Back 59

one of the major systematic approaches to philosophy following the death of aristotle. the concerns of the skeptic were largely focused on the problems of epistemology and the good life.

Front 60

soticism

Back 60

a major post aristotelian philosophy emphasizing discipline and suppresion of desire as means to the greatest happiness and virtues.

Front 61

Tertullian

Back 61

an early christian scholar remembered for his attacks on child sacrifice and 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 62

william of ockham

Back 62

an early philosopher friendly to empirical methods and strongly influenced by thomas aquinas .

Front 63

zeno of cyprus

Back 63

founder of stoicism which emphasized self control, austerity and suppression as guides to virtue and happiness.

Front 64

Nicolaus copernicus

Back 64

polish astronomer physician and minister remembered as the founder of a scientific revolution marked b the belief that the sun rather than earth is the center of the solar system.

Front 65

cosmology

Back 65

the study of theories of the nature of the universe including the relation of earth to the rest of the solar system

Front 66

Galileo

Back 66

italian astronomer and physicist rembered for improving the telescope and using it systematically in the observation of the solar system.

Front 67

geocentric

Back 67

literally earth centered generally refers to the ancient view of Ptolemy that the earth is the center of the solar system.

Front 68

heliocentric

Back 68

nicolas copernicus sun center of the solar system

Front 69

huarte juan

Back 69

one of the first to write on subjects of individual differences aptitude and temperament

Front 70

index of forbidden books

Back 70

generally refers to books forbidden by the catholic church because they were regarded as dangerous to faith and morality. though censorship was practised from the early days of the church, the index started in the 16th c to 1966.

Front 71

indulgences

Back 71

refers to various means of raising money practiced by the catholic church prior to the reformation. generally involved payment of money in exchange for a spiritual favor.

Front 72

Johannes Kepler

Back 72

german astronomer and mathematician who discovered the ellipticial or oval shaped motions of the planets.

Front 73

martin luther

Back 73

the founder of the reformation and the leader of the protestant movement. Arguably luther contributed to the growth of the empirical spirit by advancing the doctrine of the individual priesthood of the believer, in which people have the right to read and interpret scriptures for themselves.

Front 74

machiavellianism

Back 74

refers to the application of the principles set forth by niccolo machiavelli, sometimes implies amoral, manipulative attitudes but strictly speaking such an aimplication is a corruption of the teachings of Machiavelli.

Front 75

machiavelli niccolo

Back 75

founder of modern political science and modern military science. one of the first to emphasize the importance of socialization and the techniques for molding public opinion. he advocated the utility of a descriptive social science.

Front 76

michel de montaigne

Back 76

late renaissance scholar who launched a powerful and influential attack on human knowledge. his skepticism was to have a strong influence of francis bacon and rene descartes. montaigne also speculated on a number of psychological topics such as how to rear children, education motivation and emotion.

Front 77

paracelsus

Back 77

radical renaissance epistemologist who argued that observational studies should replace old scholastic techniques and blind allegiance to authority.

Front 78

Francesco petrarch

Back 78

italian poet scholar moralist who was a founder of renaissance and humanism

Front 79

ptolemy

Back 79

egyptian astronomer geographer and mathematician known for an early geogcentric cosmology that was widely accepted for over 1,400 year.s

Front 80

Reformation

Back 80

a sixteenth century religious movement founded by martin luther and motivated by an attempt to reform the catholic church. luther's failure to bring about the changs he desired ultimately led to a major split in the church and the beginnings of protestantism.

Front 81

renaissance

Back 81

the period in history 1300-1600. rediscovery of greek classics, new interest in mathematics, expanding geographic knowledge, and a wider epistemology.

Front 82

renaissance humanism

Back 82

refers to a new interest in human affairs. it was manifested in art as the subject shifted from theological figures to human figures and in music as the subject shifted from the sacred to the secular. in science there was a new interest in physiological and anatomical studies and a general new focus on topics of human concern.

Front 83

Oliva Sabuco

Back 83

late renaissance writer who emphasizeed the wisdom of moderation sabuco was among the first to understand the role of emotions in physical and psychological health.

Front 84

julius caesar scaliger

Back 84

a renaissance scholar remembered for his work on the kinesthetic and muscle senses. one of the first to emphasize the role of the musculature in cognitive and affective proceses.

Front 85

andreas vesalius

Back 85

physician and anatomist known for his empirical approach to anatomy based on actual dissections. he revolutionized the study of the human body much as renaissance explorers such as columbus and magellan revolutionized knowledge of geography .

Front 86

juan luis vives

Back 86

spanish humanist who advocated an empirical approach to psychology. de anima et de vita.