Volume One of The History of Psychology through Symbols provides a groundbreaking approach by expanding the roots of psychology beyond the Greeks to concurrent events during the same period (800 BCE–200 BCE), defined as the Axial Age by German-Swiss psychiatrist Karl Jaspers.
The Axial Age emphasized seeking the universal connection that unites all humanity, a focus not on what one believed, but how one lived. This includes the human desire to connect to something greater, the totality of being human, explained by using symbols, the universal language. This volume describes the psychological implications of the Axial Age through the developments of Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Daoism, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, as well as Greek thought. Rooted in the Axial Age, Volume One explores how the Christian and Islamic eras influenced psychology, which resulted in the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution, which provided the historic roots of modern psychology. Rejecting the idea that science transcends historical events, this volume provides a political, socioeconomic, and cultural context for all the historic developments. The chapter on the history of mental illness provides inspiration for a new mental health system with specific recommendations for radical system reform. In the spirit of the Axial Age on the importance of how one lives, there is an emphasis on engagement with symbols and with specific exercises, called emancipatory opportunities, to apply the lessons of psychological history to daily life.
This book is ideal for those seeking a dynamic and engaging way of learning about or teaching the history of psychology and would also be of interest to students, practitioners, and scholars of science, philosophy, history and systems, religious studies, art, and mental health and drug and alcohol treatment, as well as those interested in applying the lessons of history to daily life.
Learn more about this groundbreaking text and its symbols on the special website: www.psychologyandsymbols.com.
By:
James Broderick
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 246mm,
Width: 174mm,
Weight: 560g
ISBN: 9780367464608
ISBN 10: 0367464608
Pages: 287
Publication Date: 15 December 2023
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
1. History of Psychology through Symbols: From Reflective Study to Active Engagement 2. Symbols of the Axial Age: The Age of Psychological Transformation 3. Symbols of the Greek Era: The Foundation of Western Psychology 4. Symbols of the Hellenistic, Christian, and Islamic Eras 5. Symbols of Psychological Rebirth during the Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment 6. The Symbols of the History of Mental Illness: Past, Present, and a New Vision for the Future
James L. Broderick, PhD, ABPP, is Board Certified in Clinical Psychology and currently in private practice in Santa Barbara, California. He is the former Chair of the Clinical Psychology Program and current adjunct professor at Pacifica Graduate Institute, Carpinteria, California; he was formerly the director of Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol services in Shasta and Santa Barbara Counties in California. Website: newlifesb.com
Reviews for History of Psychology through Symbols: From Reflective Study to Active Engagement. Volume 1: Historic Roots
"""Jim Broderick’s History of Psychology Through Symbols is a radically original and deeply thoughtful way of creatively reimagining a story that we tend to see as hum-drum and all-too-familar."" Christine Downing, author of Mythopoetic Musings ."
