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Why Is Modern Psychology Not Progressing?

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I mean no disrespect to the science but from what I've studied, and what I've learned about psychology, there really havn't been any grand discoveries or grand theories that have come out of it. Of course this is probably a matter of opinion but even Ayn Rand stated that psychology was sort of a "Pre-"science and not a field that has found it's 'Aristotle' or 'Plato'. This is a serious subject to me because I'm seeing more and more human beings following the idea that psychologists will save us.

As more and more people get on psychotrope drugs and more and more people believe that that is the way to fix all problems, it scares me. It scares me because I believe that these drugs (even though they may 'work') give human beings this idea that there is always an easy way out. Instead of fixing your bad premisis's, they take a psychotropic drug and thats the end of that.

Of course it's much more complicated than this, there is the fact that these doctors are very much trying to push the drug industry (which I havn't yet determined if this is a bad thing or a good thing). But there is one factor that I want to focus on when it comes to these complicated issues. How come there hasn't been a serious integration of all the other sciences into Psychology (and if there has been how come it hasn't been widely recognized). The main science I believe should be integrated is Philosophy of course.

I believe that Psychology presupposes Philosophy, not the other way around as the current trend seems to believe. Of course there are biological issues involved and nuerology, but I do believe that a correct philosophy can correct a bad psychology...not the other way around. I've asked 2 psych majors this over the past 2 months and they said they hadn't even thought about that subject.

Now I know there is Dr. Hurd and Dr. Kenner and they are doing great things in the field by combining proper philosophy with proper psychology but I don't believe that there is an official movement to make these changes. If I am wrong and these are false accusations please correct me, that is really the point in creating this thread.

This is a quick idea that I'm shooting out here and of course I'll elaborate, but I think I have enough to start a conversation.

~Michael

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Briefly, your concern seems to be with the aspect of the mind which is the least amenable to scientific study. If your interest were in the more basic question of memory, perception and categorization, then your objection could only be to the lack of flashy discoveries, not lack of substantial progress. In fact I think your concern regarding drugs is misplaced: this is a problem about psychiatrists, not psychologists, though the distinction isn't what it used to be. Your problem is with psychotherapy, not psychology.

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Briefly, your concern seems to be with the aspect of the mind which is the least amenable to scientific study. If your interest were in the more basic question of memory, perception and categorization, then your objection could only be to the lack of flashy discoveries, not lack of substantial progress. In fact I think your concern regarding drugs is misplaced: this is a problem about psychiatrists, not psychologists, though the distinction isn't what it used to be. Your problem is with psychotherapy, not psychology.

And thats what I'm trying to figure out. You have to understand, I'm not educated on either subject as I should be but it only makes sense to integrate these sciences together [to me].

I'm sure it's way more complicated that I present it, but thats why I'm posting, to get some clarity from people who may know more.

~Michael

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And thats what I'm trying to figure out.  You have to understand, I'm not educated on either subject as I should be but it only makes sense to integrate these sciences together [to me].

What you want out of psychology isn't entirely reasonable, no offense intended. There are a few special philosophical problems that psychology must face, which physics and geology for example do not have to face, especially those dealing with volition and consciousness. But I don't think that many psychologists are laboring under the delusion that man is non-volitional or that man has no consciousness. And philosophy cannot by itself explain what causes volition. It will help experimenters considerably to have a proper philosophical basis for guiding their study so that they can correctly understand the relevance of new knowledge regarding the mind; but it's also true that physicists need a proper philosophical basis for understanding the meaning of new knowledge in their field.

One thing to remember is that natural sciences have enjoyed a long period of rational development, whereas psychology has only recently and partially emerged from the stultifying fog of behaviorism.

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