Mechanism, purpose and progress: Darwin and early American psychology

History of the Human Sciences 21 (1):103-126 (2008)
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Abstract

Histories of psychology regularly celebrate the foundational role played in the development of early American psychology by Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection, and in particular the development of functional psychology and behaviorism. In this article it is argued that although Darwin's theory did play an influential role, early American psychology did not generally reflect the hereditarian determinism of his theory of evolution by natural selection. However, early American psychologists did accept one critical implication of Darwin's theory, which is that evolution by natural selection does not ensure the highest development of the human race. This partly explains the social interventive zeal that was a distinctive feature of early American psychology

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John Greenwood
CUNY Graduate Center

Citations of this work

The problem of raccoon intelligence in behaviourist America.Michael Pettit - 2010 - British Journal for the History of Science 43 (3):391-421.

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References found in this work

On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.Charles Darwin - 1897 - New York: Heritage Press. Edited by George W. Davidson.
The origin of species by means of natural selection.Charles Darwin - 1859 - Franklin Center, Pa.: Franklin Library. Edited by J. W. Burrow.
Psychology as the behaviorist views it.John B. Watson - 1994 - Psychological Review 101 (2):248-253.
The Study of Instinct.N. Tinbergen - 1954 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 5 (17):72-76.
Sociobiology: The New Synthesis.Edward O. Wilson - 1967 - Harvard University Press.

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