Historical Dimensions of Psychological Discourse

We speak about the mind - about our thoughts, emotions, intentions, and the like - as if these words referred to actual events ("real thoughts", "real emotions", etc.). Yet, there is no way of determining what these words stand for, or whether such "real thoughts" or "real emotions" even exist. Are our present-day conceptions of psychological reality historically or culturally based? In this volume, prominent American and European scholars explore the historical shaping of psychological discourse. Speaking from several disciplinary standpoints, they direct attention to the ideological, intellectual, political, economic, and literary forces that enter into the cultural construction of mental life. In its explorations, the volume not only challenges the reality of the taken-for-granted world of everyday life, but raises fundamental questions concerning the potential of psychological science to establish historically independent knowledge of mental process. Contributions to the volume treat a variety of subjects, including the emotions, cognition, the concept of child development, psychotherapy, gender differences, and knowledge. Additional chapters represent first-hand accounts of historical change in psychological movements. This book will appeal to professional psychologists and graduate students in psychology, sociology, and history.