Customer Reviews

Where Biology Meets Psychology: Philosophical Essays

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As Brent Slife and I noted regarding this book in our review in _Contemporary Psychology_, with psychologists finding themselves weighing the merits of prescription privileges-a traditionally biological intervention-and viewing what were once distinctly psychological diagnoses (e.g., depression) as fundamentally biological in nature, books such as this are increasingly more warranted. Relatively new specialties, such as evolutionary psychology and cognitive science, have sprouted and apparently flourished through essentially biological explanations of traditionally psychological phenomena. However, this book is recommended to only a very limited audience in psychology. First, the book is incredibly dense, seemingly written with philosophers in mind. So, if you regularly read the work of professional philosophers, particularly when they write to other philosophers as their primary audience, then by all means dive into this work. Furthermore, I am disappointed to say that those in psychology with the most to gain from this book--neuroscientists, evolutionary psychologists, cognitive scientists, psychopharmacologists--will likely have the most difficult time discerning its messages. Indeed, without professional help (i.e., another philosopher), I fear that critical issues in the biologization of psychology will be misinterpreted or missed entirely. Finally, it is apparent that the perspective of the authors of the various chapters in this book is quite singular: offering only biological explanations of psychological phenomena (biologization of psychology). I certainly hope another biology/psychology edited book will explore more holistic understandings of psychological phenomena.