2 Philosophical Psychology PDF

Psychology as a Philosophical
Science
Monday, 7 November 2011
Introduction
• In the ancient times, Greeks did not have
strict divisions of different fields and
disciplines. (i.e. an astronomer is just
considered as a scientist in the same
manner as a biologist is acknowledged)
• And as such Philosophy was the general
category for almost all intellectual pursuits.

Introduction
• Likewise, philosophy was
considered as the
science of all things that
could be known to the
human intellect.
• Hence, astronomers,
mathematicians,
geologists, biologists, and
the like are all subsumed
under the discipline of
philosophy.

Introduction
• Psychology was under the domain of

philosophy in so far as it explores the area
of human behaviour and that it aims to
answer one of the fundamental questions of
philosophy: “Who am I?”

Aristotle
• Aristotle founded the first organised

explanation of human nature in his
book entitled “De Anima.”
• This work became the fundamental

basis for the assertion of the
hylemorphic / hylomorphic doctrine
of reality.

Aristotle and
Hylemorphism
• Hylemorphism is the
dualistic notion that man
is composed of matter
and form.
• Aristotle adopts this

perspective from the
Platonic doctrine of
Forms.

Aristotle and
Hylemorphism
• Hyle in Greek means matter; Morphe means
form or structure.
• Aristotle sees reality in this two essential
elements.
• Matter is the element that is shaped by the
form.

Hylemorphism
• Analogically speaking, we
could say that the clay in
which a pot is made is
matter, while the form is the
skill and labor in which the
artisan or potter bestows
upon the clay in order to put
its potentiality into actuality,
which is the actual pot itself.

Hylemorphism
• In this doctrine, we consider man as the

composite of both body and soul.
• The body is the physical or the material
element (hyle), while the soul is the spiritual
principle (form or morphe) that motivates
the body.

Philosophical Notions of Man
Monism and Dualism
• Aristotle’s Hylemorphic doctrine has

spawned several philosophical notions of
man that has either maintained the dualism
between the body and the soul or
espoused a much superior principle from
the two (i.e. monism).

Dualism
• In Aristotle’s psychology, the dualism

between matter and form is maintained in
equal value.
• Without matter, form can never exist.
• Without form, matter would not be able to
appear as it is.

Dualism
• In dualism, the interaction
between matter and form or
body and soul is regarded as
elements that interact with
one another.
• Hence, this doctrine posits

the existence spiritual and
material realities as an
explanation of the universe.

Hylemorphic Dualism
• Aristotle’s dualism is
considered as
hylemorphic.
• The completeness of
reality depends on the
interaction of matter
and form, and in this
case reality is a fusion of
these elements.

Exaggerated Dualism
• Rene Descartes on the other hand, is

considered as a dualist, in so far as he
regards the body and soul as one.
• However, because of his emphasis on the
soul, the body is considered as a lesser
vehicle.

Exaggerated Dualism
• Descartes maintains that the soul’s
connection to the body is merely
mechanical and accidental.
• In a way, we could view the body as a mere
prison for the soul.
• And that the liberation or separation of the
body from the soul, will awaken man into a
higher principle of existence.

Monism
• Monism on the other
hand, posits that there is
just one reality or
element involved in man.
• For example, Plato’s

metaphysics would say
that everything in this
world is but a mere copy
of a superior ideal
reality.

Spiritual Monism
• Spiritual Monism opts that
reality takes its shape entirely
from the existence of a
transcendental or immaterial
plane of existence. (i.e. the
Judeo-Christian religion)
• They do not deny the

existence of matter or that of
the material world, they just
simply consider it inferior to
the spirit.

Materialistic Monism
• Materialistic Monism on the

other hand, believes that
reality is what it simply is.
• They deny the existence of

the soul, primarily because it
can never be seen nor can it
be experienced.

Hylemorphism
Hylemorphism
• All entities in reality, according to Aristotle, is
Hylemorphic.
• The classes of entities are categorised into the

following:
• Minerals (inanimate / non-living)
• Plants (Vegetative)
• Animals (Sentient)
• Humans (Rational)

Matter
• Matter alone is
indeterminate.
• Matter is only able to

achieved a certain sense of
determination through its
form.
• Matter is seminal.

Form / Soul
• The soul or the form is
spiritual, immaterial, and
immortal.
• It does not contain any

parts.
• It is not corruptible.
• It is indestructible.

The Morphe of Living
Entities
• All living beings are considered to have
powers that makes their prolonged
existence possible.
• The following powers are available to living
things from the lowest to highest form:
Vegetative, Sentient, Rational.

Vegetative
• Capable of self-
sustenance; nutrition.
• Growth; Augmentation.
• Reproduction;
Propagation of its own
species.

Sentient
• Composed of Two
Faculties:
• The Senses (Internal and

External)
• Appetites (Desire,
Emotion, etc.)

Rational
• Consists of Intellection
and Willing.
• The Intellect is
responsible for the
spiritual cognition of
things (i.e. ideas / forms).
• Will is the ability to

command oneself with
choice.

Cognition
• Is the ability to acquire knowledge from

reality.
• It is done through the acquisition of the
form of an object through the senses and
the intellect.
• This is activity is an intentional act.

Cognition
• In this activity, the mind

tries to posses the
intentional form of an
object by grasping the
likenesses and the
essence of such an
object.

Cognition
• Knowledge, despite its rational inclination,

will always begin with sensorial perception.
• Without the senses, nothing can be made
present in the intellect.
• Knowledge is always a representation of
reality as man perceives it.

The Sentient Faculties
• Responsible for the material cognition of

things.
• Consists of Internal and External senses.

External Senses
• Sight - Color, Shape, Size, Structure.
• Hearing - Sound (Pitch, Timbre, Frequency,
etc.)
• Smell - Odour or scent of an object.
• Taste - Flavour of an object (bitter, sweet,
sour, salty, etc.)
• Touch - Texture, Pressure, Temperature.
Internal Senses
• 1. Common Sense:
• Connects 2 or more external sensations as
one.
• It unites several perceptual inputs into one
concrete object or unit of representation/
thought.
• Responsible for processing our perceptions. It
literally “bundles” up the data from the five
senses.

Internal Senses
• 2. Imagination:
• Gives the form of an object without
reference to time and space.
• It represents the object in our mind even
without its presence.
• Can make composites of past experiences.

Imagination
• Is responsible for three

functions of
representation:
• Formative
• Reproductive
• Creative

Imagination
• Formative:
• When the mind

represents the object as
it was perceived by its
knower.
• It is the representation
of a unified perception.
• It is the product of
common sense.

Imagination
• 2. Reproduction
• When the mind draws a

representation of an
object regardless of the
context in which it was
perceived.
• It isolates all the other

background or “noise”
imprinted in one’s
perception.

Imagination
• 3. Creative
• The ability to create

composite images of one
or more perceptual
image of an object. (i.e.
Unicorns)

Phantasm
• The image that is

produced in the
imagination in the
absence of a perceived
object.

Other Notions
• Illusion - a false
perception of an object
that has no basis in
reality.

Other Notions
• Hallucinations - An
experience involving the
perception of something
that is not present. (i.e.
Under the influence of
drugs, psychosis, or
severe mental
problems).

Memory
• It is the internal sense

that is responsible for
recalling the experiences
of the past.

Memory
• It is only limited to past experiences.
• Coordinates with imagination in
constructing images.
• Recalls the image in its contextual detail in
time and space.
• Functions: Recall and Recognition

Recall
• This is the ability
to put into
awareness an
object or percept
that is no longer
present but was
perceived in the
past.

Recognition
• The ability to become

aware of the similarity of
a past perception with a
current perception.
• This is the associative

aspect of memory.

Problems With
Memory
• Amnesia - The inability of a person to recall
memory due to its absence.
• It can be total and partial memory loss.
• The condition could be temporary or
permanent.
• Cause by extreme head trauma, mental
disorder, psychological trauma, and old age.

Damaged area
Problems With
Memory
• Hyperamnesia - the
abnormally vivid or
complete recollection of
the past.
• This is usually induced

by procedures such as
hypnosis and regression.

Problems With
Memory
• Paramnesia - is a false or implanted
memory.
• This could either come from the inability of
a person to recall their memory.
• Could be caused by delusions.
• Could be implanted through hypnotic
suggestion.

Estimative Sense
• The ability to know or

project an object’s
usefulness even without
a prior knowledge or
memory of such object.
• Could be considered as
the instinctive sense of
danger and safety.

The Sentient Appetites
• They are considered as

emotions or the
inclination towards
sensitive good and away
from sensitive evil.
• They are either

concupiscible or
irascible.

The Sentient Appetites
• Aristotle classifies these appetites as

emotions or circumstances in which the
sentient faculties affects an organism.
• The natural tendency of sentient organisms
is to seek good / pleasure and avoid evil /
pain.

Concupiscible
Appetites
• Are mild emotions that
are easily attainable.
• They fuel desires that

drives an organism to
move or become
motivated.
• concupiscentia - ‘beginning
to desire.’ Lt.

Love
• The natural inclination
towards pleasure or
good as it is perceived
or comprehended.
• This is Love in the level

of ‘eros’ or pleasure.
• This is an immediate
reaction to a present
object or situation.

Hatred
to avoid pain, evil, or
displeasure.
• It is the tendency to
deny an immediate
source of sensual
discomfort (i.e.
punishment,
displeasurable sensual
perception, etc.)

Desire
towards an object that is
attainable but not
present at a given
moment (i.e. food,
gratification, comfort).
• Can also be considered

as lust.
• Is always futural and

projective.

Aversion
• The natural
inclination to move
away from a
possible source of
pain, displeasure, or
evil.
• Like desire,
aversion is futural.

Joy / Happiness
• The acquisition of
pleasure, good, or the
gratification of a desired
object (i.e. food).

Sadness
• This is the state of
sorrow or dissatisfaction
with an organism’s
inability to acquire it’s
desired object.
• Could also come from

the possession of an
unwanted evil (i.e.
sickness).

Irascible Appetites
• These are instinctive emotions
that are triggered in emergency
situations.
• They are triggered by intense

and overwhelming sensory
experience which drives an
organism to desire an object
that is difficult to acquire.
• irascibilis - ‘to grow angry’ Lt.

Hope
• The natural tendency to

desire a good that is
perceived to be difficult
to attain. (i.e. deliverance
from a present danger.)

Despair
• The natural tendency to

move away from
something difficult
because of a given
situation.
• This emotion can be

equated with losing the
emotion of hope.

Courage
• An emotion that moves

an organism towards a
perceptible danger with
the expectation of
overcoming it.
• Courage is usually
coupled with the
emotion of hope.

Fear
• The emotion that drives

an organism away from
an object that would
cause pain, evil, and
discomfort.

Anger
• The inclination of an
organism to go against a
perceived evil, pain, and
discomfort.
• This emotion is the

defiance of a given
sensation of pain and
displeasure.
• It is an irritation from a
given stimuli.

The Rational Faculties
• Consists of the Intellect

and the Will.
• It is responsible for the

cognition of spiritual or
mental content of an
object.

The Rational Faculties
• Though considered as a higher faculty,

rationality is entirely dependent upon the
sentient faculty.
• Without the senses, nothing can be made
present in the intellect.

Intellect
• Responsible for the
representation of a
percept as an idea.
• The idea is the

originating point of
knowledge, wherein the
essential properties of a
perceived object is
abstracted as an
intangible and immaterial
entity.

The Intellect
• Ideas can also come from the composite of

other ideas, through comparison, and
contradistinction.
• Operates with three functions: Simple
apprehension, Judgment, and Reasoning.

Will
• The faculty of voluntary

decision making.
• It is responsible for
allowing a certain
inclination of man to
occur (i.e. preparing
food to satiate hunger).

Will
• The act of will is a process that involves the

intellect in considering a certain act.
• The intellect’s judgment allows the will to
act in a given way (i.e. to cheat or not to
cheat in an examination).

Freedom
• Man is always considered

free.
• He can always make a

choice before doing a
certain act regardless of
his circumstantial
situation.

Types of Freedom
• Freedom of Exercise - the freedom to

choose between doing an act or not doing
an act.
• Freedom of Specification - the freedom to
choose an alternative from the possible
ways of doing a certain act.

Acts of Man
• Are acts that are due to man’s natural

capabilities.
• It is always subject to circumstances that
are physical and to some extent
unavoidable (i.e. The borborygmus of our
bellies, sneezing, etc.)

Human Acts
• Are acts that are absolutely voluntary in
man.
• All human acts are deliberated upon to
some extent (some have perfect
deliberations while others do not).
• Any human act is considered to be a
responsibility to the person who is acting.

Distinctions
• All Human acts are acts of man.
• But not all acts of man are human acts.
• The acts of man are always subject to
corporeal and animal tendencies.
• Human acts are capable of transcending the
acts of man through rationality.

Distinctions
• While it may be an Act of Man to eat

because of hunger, being gluttonous on the
other hand is a wilful decision, and is
considered as a Human Act.

Example
• A car accident committed due to poor
vision for example may be considered as an
Act of Man (because the defect of the body
caused the accident).
• However, the intentional act of running
over pedestrians are considered as Human
Acts because of the implicit willing of
injuring the other person.

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Psychology as a Philosophical

Monday, 7 November 2011

Monday, 7 November 2011

• Psychology was under the domain of

Monday, 7 November 2011

• Aristotle founded the first organised

• This work became the fundamental

Monday, 7 November 2011

• Aristotle adopts this

Monday, 7 November 2011

Monday, 7 November 2011

Monday, 7 November 2011

• In this doctrine, we consider man as the

Monday, 7 November 2011

• Aristotle’s Hylemorphic doctrine has

Monday, 7 November 2011

• In Aristotle’s psychology, the dualism

Monday, 7 November 2011

• Hence, this doctrine posits

Monday, 7 November 2011

Monday, 7 November 2011

• Rene Descartes on the other hand, is

Monday, 7 November 2011

Monday, 7 November 2011

• For example, Plato’s

Monday, 7 November 2011

• They do not deny the

Monday, 7 November 2011

• Materialistic Monism on the

• They deny the existence of

Monday, 7 November 2011

• The classes of entities are categorised into the

• Minerals (inanimate / non-living)

Monday, 7 November 2011

• Matter is only able to

Monday, 7 November 2011

• It does not contain any

Monday, 7 November 2011

Monday, 7 November 2011

Monday, 7 November 2011

• The Senses (Internal and

Monday, 7 November 2011

• Will is the ability to

Monday, 7 November 2011

• Is the ability to acquire knowledge from

Monday, 7 November 2011

• In this activity, the mind

Monday, 7 November 2011

• Knowledge, despite its rational inclination,

Monday, 7 November 2011

• Responsible for the material cognition of

Monday, 7 November 2011

Monday, 7 November 2011

Monday, 7 November 2011

• Is responsible for three

Monday, 7 November 2011

• When the mind

Monday, 7 November 2011

• When the mind draws a

• It isolates all the other

Monday, 7 November 2011

• The ability to create

Monday, 7 November 2011