Behaviorism: A Quandry of a Psychology without a Soul

Description

Over a hundred years have passed since the birth of behaviorism or

behavioristic psychology, often regarded as the “first force” in contemporary

psychology. many might assume that “the dark night of behaviorism” has

subsided once and for all, especially since the behavioristic paradigm has

been superseded by the cognitive revolution and other developments, such

as psychoanalysis (“second force”), humanistic psychology (“third force”)

and transpersonal psychology (“fourth force”). however, this assumption

would be incorrect as it initiated one of the most powerful currents of modern

psychology in the twentieth century. us it launched an assault on the

human microcosm by decisively abolishing, if not radically trivializing, the

role of the psyche or soul and the spiritual dimension in an unparalleled

fashion. although less known, this destructive paradigm was perhaps even

more influential than psychoanalysis that predates its existence but did not

emerge into a movement in america until later on, nonetheless behaviorism

has had an irrevocable impact on the way that the human psyche was universally

understood across the diverse cultures prior to the advent of modernism

and the development of modern psychology.