Forgotten Streams in the History of 19th-Century German Psychology

The 19th century was a defining era for psychology, rich with an intellectual diversity that shaped modern thought but which remains largely overlooked. The roots of 20th century thought can be traced to the 19th century, when a mechanical worldview took hold, society grew increasingly secular, modern urban metropolises emerged, and evolutionist ideas reshaped the understanding of nature's developmental principles. Throughout this century, the natural sciences extended beyond their traditional limits, influencing and reshaping the human, moral, and social sciences, among which psychology was especially impacted, as this transformation sparked profound debates on the very possibility of a science of the soul.

Forgotten Streams in the History of 19th-Century German Psychology recovers the vibrant roots of psychology in empiricism, romanticism, idealism, phenomenology, among other streams of thought that explored consciousness, the soul, and the self before experimental psychology took center stage. Unlike the standard view, this book invites readers to reconsider psychology's history, revealing a complex landscape that questions the simplistic story of a linear path toward empiricism. Through profiles of significant yet forgotten thinkers, this work uncovers how their ideas contributed to discussions of the unconscious, mind-body duality, and inner experience.

Written by leading scholars, each chapter offers a unique window into an intellectual movement that continues to influence debates in psychology, philosophy, and beyond. Essential for historians, psychologists, and anyone curious about psychology's deeper origins, Forgotten Streams is an indispensable reference that fills an important gap, enriching our understanding of psychology's complex and multifaceted development.

An indispensable reference book on the history of 19th-century psychology The book explores the forgotten empirical, romantic, idealist, and phenomenological roots of psychology The book challenges the linear narrative of psychology's development

Autorentext

Carlos Cornejo is a Full Professor at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile. He obtained his PhD at the University of Cologne and had postdoctoral training at the University of Heidelberg. He works on speech and human interaction, making use of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. He also researches and teaches on history and philosophy of psychology. His last published books are the co-editions I Activate You to Affect Me (2018, Information Age Publishing, Charlotte, NC.) and Intimacy: The Shared Part of Me (2022, Information Age Publishing, Charlotte, NC). He is co-editor of the SpringerBriefsinTheoretical Advances in Psychology series (Springer). He is founder and director of the Laboratory of Language, Interaction and Phenomenolo gy .

Cristián Hernández Maturana studied Psychology at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (2011) and completed a Master of Arts in Philosophy at the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (2014). He received his PhD in 2020 from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and the Universität Hildesheim in the framework of a cotutelle agreement. After the completion of his PhD, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute of Philosophy of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (2021-2024). Since 2024, he has been Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Philosophy of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. He is the author of Substantialität, Individualität, Präexistenz und Fortdauer der Menschenseele. Grundzüge von Immanuel Hermann Fichtes philosophischer Anthropologie , published in 2022 at Verlag Karl Alber.

Inhalt

Introduction: The 19th Century German Psychological Landscape.- Johann Christian Reil (17591813).-Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (17681834).- Johann Christian August Heinroth (17731843).- Johann Friedrich Herbart (17761841).- Karl Friedrich Burdach (17761847).-Ignaz Paul Vital Troxler (17801866).- Gotthilf Heinrich Schubert (17801860).- Carl Gustav Carus (17891869).- Immanuel Hermann Fichte (17961879).- Friedrich Eduard Beneke (17981854).- Karl Ludwig Michelet (18011893).- Conclusion.