The History of Psychology: A Thomistic Reading

The History of Psychology begins on an arresting note: “Tell the average person that you are a psychologist and the odds are ten to one that he will ask you to read his mind or psychoanalyze him.” Both these queries, tethered as they are to an inadequate, positivistic reading of history, utterly mistake the purpose of psychology. To remedy this, Brennan develops a comprehensive survey of the many and varied efforts to understand the workings of the human mind. The History of Psychology is not only an engaging introduction to the central figures of psychology, but also a bold, fresh telling of the story of psychology from the perspective of the Aristotelian–Thomistic tradition.

“What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason! / how infinite in faculty! … / And yet, to me, / what is this quintessence of dust?” (William Shakespeare, Hamlet)

Robert Edward Brennan, O.P., (1897–1975) was a priest, psychologist, and internationally acclaimed author. He was a professor at Providence College from 1931–1943, where he also directed its Thomistic Institute. His writings include General Psychology (1937), Thomistic Psychology (1941), and The Image of His Maker (1948).

Paperback: 298 pages.