Neil Bolton - Böcker

Philosophical psychology reflects upon the aims and the concepts of empirical psychology. First published in 1979, Philosophical Problems in Psychology argues that empirical psychology must be founded upon the language of rationality, for actions and the reasons people give for their actions are at the heart of human behaviour.This thesis is defended in the contributions to Part I which assert that psychology must take the form of an elaboration of common sense. But the authors in Part II maintain that psychology may remain faithful to this insight whilst still developing more sophisticated models of behaviour. The use of computer models, Piaget’s views on the effects of internalization and a discussion of the geometry of phenomenal space provide illustrations. Part III contains three papers which explore the limitations of theoretical statements which emphasize our construction of reality. The pertinence of the computer analogy is disputed, subject-centred models are scrutinized in the light of phenomenology, and the role of theory in psychotherapy is critically discussed.

Philosophical psychology reflects upon the aims and the concepts of empirical psychology. First published in 1979, Philosophical Problems in Psychology argues that empirical psychology must be founded upon the language of rationality, for actions and the reasons people give for their actions are at the heart of human behaviour.This thesis is defended in the contributions to Part I which assert that psychology must take the form of an elaboration of common sense. But the authors in Part II maintain that psychology may remain faithful to this insight whilst still developing more sophisticated models of behaviour. The use of computer models, Piaget’s views on the effects of internalization and a discussion of the geometry of phenomenal space provide illustrations. Part III contains three papers which explore the limitations of theoretical statements which emphasize our construction of reality. The pertinence of the computer analogy is disputed, subject-centred models are scrutinized in the light of phenomenology, and the role of theory in psychotherapy is critically discussed.

In this concise and lucid survey, originally published in 1972, the author considers the major theoretical perspectives influential in the psychology of thinking at the time. They are looked at in relation to the problems which they are designed to answer and their success in accounting for the experimental evidence.

In this concise and lucid survey, originally published in 1972, the author considers the major theoretical perspectives influential in the psychology of thinking at the time. They are looked at in relation to the problems which they are designed to answer and their success in accounting for the experimental evidence.

A Philosophy for Education: A Study in Aesthetic Rationality supports an argument for the crucial role of the aesthetic in a humanist education. It is structured around the philosophy of Giambattista Vico (1668–1744) who saw the poetic imagination as the first language through which humankind makes sense of its place within the world with myths and symbolic ritual. This is the search for the truth of identity and, ultimately, requires a self that examines its own experiences. That examination is the work of an aesthetic rationality that responds to life’s contradictions through the use of metaphor: An historical perspective, ranging from the Renaissance, through the Romantic Movement, to Phenomenology, identifies the major characteristics of an aesthetic rationality, and concludes with recommendations for the school curriculum.