Originally published in 1960, this study was rooted in the conviction that a close cooperation between the disciplines of psychology and history opened new and fruitful perspectives for the understanding of both fields. The title is an investigation of the connection between history and psychology, discussing how a society shapes and conditions the minds of those born into it. The author takes a close look at Greek society at the time of Pericles, and English society of the Elizabethan era. Though presented in the idiom of psychology, the problems with which this book is concerned, should appeal to historian and psychologist alike.

Positivism needs further scrutiny. In recent years, there has been little consensus about the nature of positivism or about the precise forms its influence has taken on psychological theory. One symptom of this lack of clarity has been that ostensibly anti-positivist psychological theorizing is frequently found reproducing one or more distinctively positivist assumptions. The contributors to this volume believe that, while virtually every theoretically engaged psychologist today openly rejects positivism in both its 19th century and 20th century forms, it is indispensable to look at positivism from all sides and to appraise its role and importance in order to make possible the further development of psychological theory.

What kind of psychology should be used in historical interpretation? How should it be used, and on what range of historical problems? These are some of the basic questions addressed by the distinguished contributors.

The 2nd edition of Historical and Conceptual issues in Psychology offers a lively and engaging introduction to the main issues underlying the emergence and continuing evolution of psychology.

Exploring the relationship between psychology and history, this book considers how the disciplines could benefit from a closer dialogue.

An Intellectual History of Psychology, already a classic in its field, is now available in a concise new third edition. It presents psychological ideas as part of a greater web of thinking throughout history about the essentials of human nature, interwoven with ideas from philosophy, science, religion, art, literature, and politics. Daniel N. Robinson demonstrates that from the dawn of rigorous and self-critical inquiry in ancient Greece, reflections about human nature have been inextricably linked to the cultures from which they arose, and each definable historical age has added its own character and tone to this long tradition. An Intellectual History of Psychology not only explores the most significant ideas about human nature from ancient to modern times, but also examines the broader social and scientific contexts in which these concepts were articulated and defended. Robinson treats each epoch, whether ancient Greece or Renaissance Florence or Enlightenment France, in its own terms, revealing the problems that dominated the age and engaged the energies of leading thinkers. Robinson also explores the abiding tension between humanistic and scientific perspectives, assessing the most convincing positions on each side of the debate. Invaluable as a text for students and as a stimulating and insightful overview for scholars and practicing psychologists, this volume can be read either as a history of psychology in both its philosophical and aspiring scientific periods or as a concise history of Western philosophy’s concepts of human nature.