| Popis: |
The cliche holds that “history repeats itself.” However, we may be closer to the truth if we assert that historical events are like snowflakes: supposedly, no two snowflakes are exactly the same, although they may be similar. As we begin our journey through psychology's long past within Western intellectual history with the contribution of Greek thinkers, it may be appropriate to apply the analogy of snowflakes to historical events. We may be amazed at the enduring similarities in the questions that human beings ask about themselves – and at the similarities of their answers. However, we should also recognize that civilization has made some progress in the last 25 centuries; we will not have to close the book on psychology after simply reviewing Greek thought. Although both the formulations and the solutions of critical psychological issues in ancient and modern times are often strikingly similar, they are not identical. Since the birth of human intelligence and understanding, people have thought about themselves with wonder. Why do we behave as we do? Why are we able to generate reasonable explanations of some actions but not of others? Why do we have moods? Why do we seem to know that we know? Throughout history, people have come up with answers for such questions, and usually their explanations have suggested some cause. For example, we run away because we are afraid. Or we cry because we are sad. The nature of these causal explanations has changed over time. The nineteenth-century French philosopher Auguste Comte characterized these causal explanations as a progression of intellectual stages. The most primitive level was labeled “theological,” because people suggested that a god was the causal agent responsible for changes in themselves and in nature. Indeed, many ancient societies invented gods with tremendous power. The ancient Egyptians had a whole catalog of gods ranging from the sun to house cats. Such spirits were used to explain human behavior, and people who wished to change themselves were best advised to pray or offer sacrifice to the relevant god. Changes in nature, such as volcanic eruptions or storms, were said to be a reflection of the displeasure of gods over some human activity. The theological stage confined people's explanations of themselves and their world to spiritual causes. |
