An Intellectual History of Psychology

Book was in perfect condition, and received promptly. The book itself is a great read. Might be a little deep with the philosophy, but the author does an excellent job of moving through an "intellectual" rather than a chronological history. Very interesting.

Daniel N. Robinson is acknowledged universally by scholars as quintessential authority on historical, philosophical antecedents of modern behavioral science. Professor Robinson presupposes readers have some knowledge of elementary philosophy and some exposure to psychology and probability theory. Whereas his treatment may appear overly complex to some, the topic cannot be reduced to level of reading a novel. Those expecting an easy read will be disappointed. Instead, advanced readers can expect a scholarly treatise. I recommend this work highly.

This book was used as a textbook in my history of psychology class. The author is brilliant as he focuses on the historical progression of psychological ideas and their philosophical basis. Be warned, many students complained about the "difficult language" the author uses. This is not an "Idiot's Guide" and the language is not dumbed down. It requires a great deal of effort to understand because it is written for a scholarly audience. Not for the mildly curious, but for the serious scholar there is no better book.

The rare psychology tome that doesn't mistake psychology's history for history in general! The learned Robinson can stand back enough to place the nascent "science" of psychology within the field of human meta-thought that started at least amongst the Greek philosophers. The book provides a cogent survey of developments in theories that are psychological in nature. The author demonstrates how many of the big deals amongst today's academic psychological concepts were anticipated long ago but forgottten when, I assume, liberal arts education and philosophy became passe. In so doing, he is able to distill from the fractured, specialized field of the current psychology scene what is vital, relevant, and productive. By using a historical context, he allows us to see the real progress of ideas instead of being distracted by the yipping of scientism's mutts. I have read earlier editions of this book twice, and plan to continue re-reading it periodically.