Psychology and 'Human Nature'

by Ashworth,Peter

• ISBN13: 9780415213004
• ISBN10: 0415213002
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2000-11-03
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Psychology and Human Nature problematizes what psychology usually takes for granted-the meaning of the psyche or 'human nature'. The author provides a coherent account of many of the major schools of thought in psychology and its related disciplines, including: sociobiology and evolutionary psychology, psychoanalysis, cognitive psychology, radical behaviourism, existentialism, discursive psychology and postmodernism. For each approach he considers the claims or assumptions being made about 'human nature', especially regarding issues of consciousness, the self, the body, other people and the physical world. Psychology and Human Naturewill be essential reading for all students of psychology. The Psychology Focus series provides students with a new focus on key topic areas in psychology. Each short book presents clear, in-depth coverage of a discrete area with many applied examples: Assumes no prior knowledge of psychology; Has been written by an experienced teacher; Has chaptersummaries, annotated further reading and a glossary of key terms.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations	vii
Series preface	ix
Introduction: psychology and `human nature'	1	(10)
The ultimate biological motive: the evolutionary perspective	11	(22)
Mental conflict: biological drives and social reality	33	(24)
An inner world: cognitive psychology	57	(24)
...Not separable from the world: Skinner's radical behaviourism	81	(22)
The individual consciousness: anxiously free in a meaningless world	103	(20)
Social being: interacting, and presenting oneself as a person	123	(26)
`Human nature' as an outmoded cultural presupposition	149	(22)
Conclusion	171	(10)
Glossary	181	(4)
Bibliography	185	(10)
Index	195