A History of Psychology: Main Currents in Psychological Thought (5th Edition) [Hardcover]

Thomas Hardy Leahey (Author), Leahy (Author), Thomas H. Leahey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 9, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0130112860 | ISBN-13: 978-0130112866 | Edition: 5 Sub

Offering a lively and critical look at psychology's past, this complete narrative history - from the Ancient Greeks to the present - explores psychology in its philosophical, religious, historical, and literary contexts. NEW! Revised introductory chapter - Ch. 1 focuses more directly on the philosophy of psychology and considers various objections and alternatives to the idea that psychology can be a science *NEW! Detailed treatment of key psychological themes - The first theme is the idea that not only is psychology necessarily a social construction but that the mind itself is to some degree a social construction. The second theme involves struggles over the existence and nature of consciousness. The third is the theme of psychology as an applied discipline *NEW! Chronological narrative of the development of Freudian psychoanalysis - Ch. 8 has been revised and new materials have been added on the development of psychoanalysis after Freud *Examines the interrelationships of psychology and society - Examines how social context influenced the way philosophers and psychologists have thought about the mind, and how modern psychology has, in turn, affected society *Looks at the evolution of leading psychological concepts - Considers the leading exponents of different psychological systems during each historical era *Includes coverage on the most recent developments in psychology - e.g., the founding of the APS and Connectionism

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Offering a lively and critical look at psychology's past, this complete narrative history -- from the Ancient Greeks to the present -- explores psychology in its philosophical, religious, historical, and literary contexts. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

By way of a narrative history, this book critically explores the evolution of psychology from the Ancient Greeks to the present, in its philosophical, religious, historical, and literary contexts. The book introduces and develops three psychological and sociological themes. One is the idea that not only is psychology necessarily a social construction but that the mind itself is to some degree a social construction. The second them involves struggles over the existence and nature of consciousness. The third is the theme of psychology as an applied discipline. This book is appropriate for anyone who is interested in critically exploring the evolution of psychology from its origins to the present.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 572 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 5 Sub edition (August 9, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130112860
• ISBN-13: 978-0130112866
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #537,039 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars get it--use it, July 17, 1999

By 

A. Wakefield "Partial Observer" (Indian Fortress, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of Psychology Main Currents in Psychological Thought, A (Hardcover)

Leaheys book is by far my preference of the history of psych textbooks (I've also examined Brennan's and Kendler's books). I use the book for personal reading and to give a sense of history and develppment to other courses. His book is especially notable for considering a wide variety of psychological ideas, and its consideration of the interaction of cultures, societies, and psychology. the only reason I give it four stars is because it's not quite as exciting as a novel and I want to see certain sections expanded - (eg. the intellectual-cultural roots of founding psychologists in Germany and Vienna) - but the bibliographies are especially meaty for a textbook.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In-depth externalist history, September 17, 2003

By 

Arthur Blumenthal (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of Psychology: Main Currents in Psychological Thought (5th Edition) (Hardcover)

Thomas Leahey's History of Psychology has long been the preferred text for the graduate-level history of psychology course at the Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science at the New School University in New York. The reasons are its intellectual depth and challenge (appropriate for graduate students) that exceeds other texts; its unsurpassed attentiveness to a wide range of historical scholarship; its emphasis on a strong externalist (contextual) analysis of the history of psychology (especially appropriate here at The New School); and its suitability for separating the serious scholars among the graduate students from those who are not that committed to the intellectual life. The course this book serves plays a strong role in determining which students will continue on in the Ph.D. program. As with any history book for this huge and diverse field scholars will be able to argue about an emphasis or interpretation or omission here and there. But there is no more intellectually spirited writing at the high-end of the currently in press history-of-psychology texts than is found in this book. Some students cave in under the challenge of the book. The truly bright, interested, and motivated students, however, really shine when they study it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most intelectually satisfying of the Histories of Psychology, September 5, 2010

By 

R. SA NOGUEIRA SARAIVA "Rodrigo de Sa" (LISBOA Portugal, Europe) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A History of Psychology: Main Currents in Psychological (6th Edition) (Hardcover)

This is the only major textbook that really tries to cover the undercurrent of ideas that gave rise to modern Psychology. Other books may be easier (not that this book is difficult) to read or even to claim to be more profund, but this one is the only one that does not simplify the ideas to the point of caricature and does not plunge too deeply into side-issues.

Also, this book has no flesh and blood heroes -- no one author is presented as such. The real protagonists are ideas, concepts and world views. Read in this light, the book is every bit as fascinating as a "who done it".

While the analysis of pre-20th Century and European Psychology could be developed and expanded, I consider the explanation of the origin of behaviorism and cognitivism really revealing and masterful.

Leahey links them to a single world view (and I think he is more right than wrong) and stresses that both perspectives derive from the North-American view of Science and Mind (or lack of it). Cognitivism is a new version of behaviorism, and not a revolutionary new view of Psychology.

The book is very well written, and the few redundant parts are unavoidable in such a large book and in such a large field of study.

As a suggestion for future development I would like to propose: Ethology (mainly Uexkull and Lorenz), Piaget, Gestalt and the overall more of less Kant-inspired European visions of Mind and Behavior.

For anyone who is considering to teach the 'History of Psychology' course, I think this book is a must read; for any psychologist that wants to know why he uses his methodology and his ideas, this is even a more important book.

Five stars, a really good book. Hearty congratulations and a very sincere 'thank you' to T.H. Leahey.