1. The Evolution Paradigm
Its Influence on Psychology
Note: difference between paradigm and theory in itself.

2. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770 - 1831)
dialectical understanding of knowledge
leading to a developmental view of
economics,
social conditions,
politics,
culture,
human psychology.

3. Knowledge as Progression
Dialectics (dialogue)
Any limited truth (thesis) calls forth its opposite (antithesis).
From the dialogue between opposites (dialectics) comes a fuller truth (synthesis).
A fundamentally optimistic theory: things get better and better.

4. Reality as Knowledge
Social, political, economic systems, individual psychological development etc. all are ways through which people become progressively more aware of reality.
Hegel would say: the Idea becomes conscious of itself in the world.

5. Reality as Knowledge (2)
A Christian might say: we become more aware of the Word through which and in which everything was created (John 1)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made..

6. Reality as Knowledge (3)
The progression of events in our lives and in the events around us reflect the progress of our understanding.
History, economics, psychology etc… all follow the dialectical thesis-antithesis-synthesis.
This progressive development can also be found in areas such as biology (leading to the development of species)

7. What are some examples that would illustrate the dialectic process?

8. Hegel and Economics
Left alone, economic systems will follow the thesis/antithesis/synthesis progression and become better overtime: capitalism.
Social change follows this same mechanism, class struggle leads to a better society: marxism

9. The Evolution paradigm
Continuity between species
Survival of the fittest (hence, interest in function: what helps you adapt)
Recapitulation theory
Use of the normal curve, statistics etc… Interest in individual differences.
Greater use of interdisciplinary data

10. Evolution paradigm and Psychology (1)
The notion of continuity between the species:
Comparative psychology (ex: George John Romanes : notion of the "mental ladder")
Use of animals in experimentation
Growth of anthropometry, statistics, and the study of individual differences.

11. Evolution paradigm and Psychology (2)
Theory of recapitulation (ontogeny repeats phylogeny) : in the course of development, the individual went through the various stages the species followed --an important but false theory..
The child of today, in his/her development, exemplifies modes of thinking existing in the simpler cultures that preceded.

12. Evolution paradigm and Psychology(3)
The distribution of human traits follows the normal curve.
This led to the development of statistics and the whole tests and measurements area.
An emphasis on function rather than structure.
How do people adapt?
Behaviorism, functionalism…

13. That’s all for now…