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Published on: September 16, 2015
[Thought as lived experience. The Würzburg School]
1Université de Genéve, Faculté de psychologie et des sciences de l'education, 40, boulevard du Pont d'Arve, CH-1211 Genève 4. Janette.Friedrich@unige.ch
The Würzburg School pioneered the psychology of thought, integrating empirical psychology and non-perceptual experiments. This work critiques psychologism and introduces "present knowledge" to advance the understanding of cognition.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- History of Psychology
Context:
- The Würzburg School's development of the psychology of thought (Denkpsychologie) in the early 20th century.
- Integration of empirical psychology (Brentano) and experimental methods exceeding perceptual limits.
Purpose:
- To analyze the Würzburg School's synthesis of contemporary psychological trends.
- To critique the psychologistic approach in the study of thought, particularly through Karl Bühler's work.
- To explore Bühler's concept of 'present knowledge' and its implications for mind localization.
Summary:
- The essay focuses on the Würzburg School's psychology of thought, highlighting its empirical and experimental foundations.
- It examines Karl Bühler's critique of psychologism and his concept of 'present knowledge' as a means to address the mind localization problem.
- The study synthesizes historical trends in cognitive psychology and philosophical psychology.
Impact:
- Offers a critical perspective on historical approaches to the psychology of thought.
- Contributes to understanding the evolution of cognitive psychology and its methodologies.
- Provides insights into the philosophical underpinnings of cognitive science and the challenges of mind-body problems.
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