Principles of Topological Psychology

Author: [German] Lewin / Gao Juifu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Psychology, in its current state of development, can only be considered a relatively new science. It has only established itself in the areas of sensation and perception, with stable progress, and its scientific validity is fully recognized. Nearly all its findings are based on experimental evidence. Although its theories may sometimes contradict each other, its methods have a more solid foundation. The probability required by psychology must not only apply to a single branch, such as child psychology, animal psychology, or psychopathology, but must equally apply to the entire field. We must use the same concepts to address issues of emotional life and behavior: the problems of infants, youth, and the elderly; the problems of healthy individuals and the sick; the problems of animals and humans; the problems of personality and the environment. Isn't this a return to speculative systems? I can answer with a "yes" or a "no." Why "yes"? Because I am unwilling to blindly collect facts, leading to psychology becoming fragmented into many unrelated branches. Why "no"? Because we absolutely do not want to deduce all psychological facts from a single concept, such as association, reflex, instinct, or holism.