Wundt and the Philosophical Foundations of Psychology

Saulo de Freitas Araujo, Ph.D., is Professor for the History and Philosophy of Psychology at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (Brazil), Department of Psychology. He is also director of the Wilhelm Wundt Center for the History and Philosophy of Psychology at the same institution. His research is primarily concerned with the history and philosophy of scientific psychology. He has published, among others, “Psychology and Neuroscience: An Evaluation of Contemporary Materialism” (2011), “History and Philosophy of Psychology: Contemporary Perspectives” (2012), and “Echoes of the Past: Studies in the History and Philosophy of Psychology” (2013). His work on Wundt has been awarded the 2013 Early Career Award from the American Psychological Association (Division 26).

“I recommend Araujo’s book as an excellent theoretical and historical study. … It is very relevant to contemporary discussions of psychology in the face of the discipline’s increasing fragmentation, lack of reflection, and historical amnesia.” (Gordana Jovanović, Theory & Psychology, 2018)“I highly recommend this important book. For those involved in science education, especially those concerned with recent debates about teaching the ‘Nature of Science’ (NOS), this will be a challenging and provocative work. … For psychologists, the book may signal a new appreciation for one of the giants of our field.” (Ryan D. Tweney, Science and Education, Vol. 26, 2017)“Wundt and the Philosophical Foundations of Psychology is the most internalist history that I have ever read, not just in the history of psychology but also in the history of science. … For Wundt scholars, it’s required reading. For historians of early psychology, it’s useful … .” (Thomas Hardy Leahey, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 61 (26), June, 2016)

• Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. The Logical Theory of Mind: Wundt’s Early Psychological Project.- Chapter 3. The Grundzüge and the Abandonment of the Unconscious.- Chapter 4. The Idea of a Scientific Philosophy.- Chapter 5. Wundt’s Mature Project of a Scientific Psychology.- Chapter 6. Conclusion.