How philosophy and physiology have influenced early

Psychology did not emerge as a separate discipline until the 1800s, but we can trace back its early history during the time of Greeks. During the 17th century, the idea of dualism was introduced by Rene Descartes, which asserted that body and mind are two entities that interact to form the human experience. This thesis has been debated by numerous psychologists. Descartes contributions in philosophy have had a significant impact on modern psychology. The controversy in psychology over nature versus nurture has its traces in early philosophical traditions.

Physiology also contributed to the emergence of psychology as a scientific discipline. Early physiological research on behavior and the brain had a dramatic impact on psychology, ultimately contributing to applying scientific methodologies to the study of human thought and behavior. Psychology emerged as a result of developments in philosophy, especially Empiricism.

Psychology has borrowed many important concepts from philosophy; the concepts that helped it to emerge as a separate discipline. In the theory of determinism, every action and decision of a man is determined by his past. The idea of determinism contributed to the theory of psychoanalysis introduced by Sigmund Freud, who also argued that early childhood experiences influence man’s present and future.

German philosopher Weber made it clear that analyzing behavior can help us analyze the mind, and hence paving the way for experimental psychology.

But the most significant contribution towards the field of psychology is credited to the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Aristotle’s philosophy of mind and reasoning contributed immensely to the history of psychology. He was known for developing the theory of proto-psychology. Aristotle wrote the first known text in the history of psychology, called Para Psyche (about the mind) in which he focused on the study of reasoning that influenced the direction of the history of psychology. Aristotle became the first philosopher to examine the urges and impulse that drive and therefore defined life, believing that the libido and urge to reproduce was the most dominant impulse of all living beings.

The history of experimental psychology can be traced back to the time when Wundt (professor of physiology) and James established labs (dedicated to experimental psychology). Wundt was the founder of the ‘Introspectionist Structuralist approach’ to psychology. Physiology also played an important role in the emergence of psychology as a separate scientific discipline.

William Wundt, who is considered as the father of experimental psychology, was also a physiologist by profession. He wrote his first textbook on psychology “Principles of physiological psychology.” He also contributed towards the separation of psychology from philosophy and biology. Wundt employed structuralist and experimental methods to study the underlying structures of thought. He also reflected on notions of sensation and perception like philosopher Weber. To study these notions, scientific methods were used. He also introduced “introspection” as a research technique that involved careful and objective analyzing of the content or structure of thoughts.

Thus psychology can be seen as a combination of physiology (the study of functions within the living system) and philosophy (theories behind human existence and experience).