Psychology from the Standpoint of the Subject Selected Writings of Klaus Holzkamp

Klaus Holzkamp (1927-1995) was the founder of German Critical Psychology working on the fundamental renewal of academic psychology. His ideas inspired generations of young scholars discontent with the socio-political function of psychology and the human sciences. Although his approach is discussed internationally, most of his work is not yet available in English. This selection of Holzkamp's writings provides an introduction to hisPsychology from the Standpoint of the Subject. In contrast to contemporary psychology's worldlessness, Holzkamp's psychological approach centers on 'human agency' as the individuals' practical influence over the conditions of their lives. Instead of seeking to optimize the individual's adjustment to prevailing conditions, the issue here is the justifiability of such an adjustment as well as the danger of reproducing the conditions of one's own powerlessness by adopting ruling self-evidences. 'Social self-understanding' on the societal reality of individual experience and action plays a key role both as the epistemic interest and method of research.

KLAUS HOLZKAMP was a german psychologist and considered the founder of critical psychology.

UTE OSTERKAMP is Reader in the Department of Psychology at the Free University Berlin, Germany.

ERNST SCHRAUBE is Associate Professor in Psychology at Roskilde University, Denmark.

ANDREW BOREHAM is a lecturer at the Berlin School of Economics, Germany.

Acknowledgements
Klaus Holzkamp and the Development of Psychology from the Standpoint of the Subject; U.Osterkamp & E.Schraube
PART I: BASIC CONCERNS AND CONCEPTS OF SUBJECT SCIENCE PSYCHOLOGY
Basis Concepts of Critical Psychology
The Development of Critical Psychology as a Subject Science
What Could a Psychology from the Standpoint of the Subject Be?
Missing the Point: Variable Psychology's Blindness to the Problem's Inherent Coherence
PART II: FUNCTIONAL ANALYSES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CONCEPTS
Personality: A Functional Analysis of the Concept
Practice: A Functional Analysis of the Concept
PART III: DE-SUBJECTIFICATION OF LEARNING IN PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY AND SCHOOL
The Fiction of Learning as Administratively Plannable
Musical Life Practice and Music Learning at School
PART IV: CONSTRUCTING OTHERNESS
The Concept of Antiracist Education: A Subject Science Analysis of its Function
Racism and the Unconscious as Understood by Psychoanalysis and Critical Psychology
The Colonization of Childhood: Psychological and Psychoanalytical Explanations of Human Development
PART V: CONDUCT OF LIFE
Psychology: Social Self-Understanding on the Reasons for Action in the Conduct of Everyday Life
References
Index