C. Rădulescu-Motru’s project for establishing psychology as a science of nature Cover Image

Proiectul lui C. Rădulescu-Motru de fundamentare a psihologiei ca știință a naturii
C. Rădulescu-Motru’s project for establishing psychology as a science of nature

Author(s): Mona Mamulea
Subject(s): History of Philosophy, 19th Century Philosophy, History of Psychology
Published by: Editura Academiei Române
Keywords: soul vs. psychic contents; consciousness; natural vs. psychic laws; naturalism; instrumentalism; scientific psychology;

Summary/Abstract: In his early writings, Rădulescu-Motru acknowledged as a valuable gain the fact that psychology had emancipated itself from the tutelage of metaphysics. However, he believed that this progress could not lead to a scientific psychology unless its outcomes were integrated into the broader scientific understanding of nature. In the following, I will discuss Rădulescu-Motru’s ideas concerning the founding of psychology as a natural science. His project essentially involves three directions: (1) conceptual reconsideration, (2) uniformization, and (3) regulation of the soul. I will also show that throughout this process, Rădulescu-Motru remained committed to methodological naturalism.

  • Issue Year: XIX/2023
  • Issue No: 19
  • Page Range: 44-55
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: Romanian