Problem 1: early roots of psychology (Descartes, Locke, Hume)

Question 1

Descartes
-lifespan
-titles

Answer 1

-1596-1650
-Rationalist, nativist, dualist (RND)

Question 2

descartes’ main things:

Answer 2

-questioning everything, can only be sure that he has doubts, cogito ergo sum
-mainly logical reasoning, less sensory experiences, but there are some universal ideas that are innate

Question 3

Descartes ideas on mind and body

Answer 3

-only human mind is conscious, and is not physical
-body is physical
-mind pervades the whole body through the pineal gland (because it was the only unpaired structure in the brain and surrounded by animal spirits)

Question 4

criticism on descartes

Answer 4

-unclear what controls behaviour according to him (animal spirits or free will)
-little info on relationship between mind and body even though he is a dualist

Question 5

Locke
-lifespan
-titles
-tabula rasa

Answer 5

-1632-1704
-Nativist, Empiricist, dualist (NED)
-tabula rasa = blank slate, knowledge can be acquired though experiences and that the ability to learn from ideas is innate

Question 6

Lockes ideas on sensation and reflection & ideas

Answer 6

• ideas are mental images used in thinking, all ideas arise from 2 processes
  -sensation: ideas arise from sensory input –> passively transferred to the mind (external to the mind
  -reflection: reflection of remnants of previous sensory stimulation (internal to the mind)

Question 7

Lockes types of ideas

Answer 7

-simple ideas = idea of an experience that cannot be further subdivided
-complex ideas = complex combo of simple ideas (arise from reflection)

Question 8

perception and emotion (Locke)

Answer 8

-perception: simplest idea we have of reflection
-emotions: the two basic emotions are pleasure and pain
–> information from sensation is processed in the mind –> emotional reactions

Question 9

Hume: lifespan + title

Answer 9

-1711-1776
-empiricist: knowledge is obtained through cognitive and sensory experiences

Question 10

humes ideas

Answer 10

-both internal and external events stimulated experiences
-you can never experience the physical world directly, only a perception of it

Question 11

in perception, a distinction an be made between impressions and ideas

Answer 11

-impressions: vivid and strong (sensory) perceptions
– simple impressions (impressions of sensation (pleasure or pain))
–complex impressions (impression of reflection, violent or calm)
-ideas: relatively weak impressions and perceptions, ideas do not exist without impressions & impressions>ideas because perception is closer to the truth

Question 12

Hume’s association of ideas

Answer 12

-associationism: association is seen as the fundamental principle of mental life
-laws of association:
–law of resemblance (associations because of similarity between ideas)
–law of continuity (associations because of similar time and place)
–law of cause and effect (thoughts about effect easily drift into thoughts about cause)