Introduction to the History of Psychology (Volumes 1 and 2)

Author: Hergenhahn / Guo Benyu [USA]
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Introduction to the History of Psychology was first published in 1986 and went to its fourth edition in 2001. It is a widely used and influential university textbook on the history of psychology in the United States. Compared to other Western psychology history books introduced in China, this book has unique characteristics. Hergenhahn places the history of psychology within the broader context of the evolution of human thought, allowing readers to see the mutual influence between disciplines and the historical context. Psychology is an interdisciplinary science, and its development is inseparable from the mutual promotion of other disciplines. Therefore, the first requirement for a historian of psychology is a broad perspective. Hergenhahn's work places the history of psychology within the broader context of the evolution of human thought, extensively exploring the impact and significance of society, culture, philosophy, and science on the emergence and development of psychology, providing us with a grand historical panorama and showing us how psychology has unfolded in the historical process and how it has interwoven with human thought and its corresponding fields. For example, when explaining the intellectual background before the independence of psychology, the author not only specifically discusses the influence of empiricism, sensationalism, positivism, and rationalism on psychology but also discusses the impact of romanticism and existentialism on psychology, which is rarely seen in other works on the history of psychology. The author particularly emphasizes uncovering the "long past" of psychology before its independence—the history of psychological thought. In terms of chapters, the book has a total of twenty chapters, with seven dedicated to the intellectual history, accounting for one-third of the book. In terms of content, the main text has 585 pages, with 230 pages dedicated to the intellectual history, also exceeding one-third. This arrangement helps readers better understand the long-term evolutionary process of later psychological concepts, theories, and doctrines in history. As the author points out: "The main purpose of this book is to examine in detail the origins of psychology and to show that most of the topics that contemporary psychologists are concerned with are manifestations of themes in the history of psychology, which have been part of psychology for hundreds or even thousands of years."
Second, Hergenhahn has a clear historical perspective and methodology, writing the history of psychology from an objective and impartial standpoint. The author holds a moderate attitude rather than a radical view on the compilation methods of the history of psychology, such as the "ancient preference" versus "modern preference" and the "great man theory" versus "spirit of the times." He says: "This book attempts to show that sometimes it seems that the spirit of the times shapes great figures, while at other times great figures shape the spirit of the times. I have also explained how great figures and the general atmosphere of the era can change the meaning of ideas and concepts. In other words, I have adopted a moderate approach, meaning that regardless of the method, as long as it seems to well explain some aspect of the history of psychology, it can be used." The author remains unbiased toward the various schools and doctrines of psychology, giving them objective and fair introductions and evaluations. Whether it is psychology oriented toward science or psychology oriented toward the humanities, they are given equal attention and weight. The author strives to accurately explain why psychology emerged and became independent, why it developed and evolved, and what the current trends and prospects are.
Third, the book incorporates new materials, absorbs new achievements, and presents new perspectives. Based on the new findings in the history of psychology and the new developments in psychological science, Hergenhahn revised and supplemented the third edition of 1997. In the "Preface" of this edition, he lists the specific modifications made to each chapter based on new materials, achievements, and perspectives, with changes affecting all chapters of the previous edition. Notably, the content on cognitive psychology and psychobiology from the previous Chapter 18 was separated into two chapters, and Chapter 20 on contemporary psychology was added.
Fourth, the book is written in an accessible and engaging manner, with fluent language and strong readability, making it very suitable as an undergraduate textbook. We know Hergenhahn not for the amount of psychological research he has conducted, but for the three influential psychology textbooks he has written. This Introduction to the History of Psychology, along with his Introduction to Learning Theories and Introduction to Personality Theories, is specifically written as textbooks for university undergraduates. The "main purpose of this book is to provide students who are new to psychology with a comprehensive and integrated understanding of the history of psychology." Over the years, the author has devoted himself to textbook writing, accumulating extensive experience. The textbooks he has written can synthesize a large amount of psychological literature and express it in an accessible and profound manner, making the reading experience smooth and effortless, as if it were a process of sharing intellectual products with the author.