Psychology began as a combination of
philosophy and experimental physiology.
It used the methodology of experiment of
physiology to answer the questions of
philosophy. One of the earliest
questions of philosophy was what is real?
For many years people believed in
spirits, witches, trolls, goblins and
monsters. The world was thought of as a
frightening place where one had to
please the fates, scare off the evil
spirits and beware of dragons, witches
and magic potions. You couldn't venture
into the forest. It was a magical place
but dangerous. You might find a house
made of gingerbread but you're likely to
be eaten by an evil witch. Also watch out
for poison apples, evil spells and
singing Dwarfs. A more modern emphasis on
mentalism is the belief in handwriting
analysis, psychic powers, tarot cards and
crystal balls. In contrast to the
mentalism of mind-reading and
telekinesis, materialism insists on fact
gathering, physical reality in the here
and now. Materialism  is akin to
naturalism (being natural or non-artificial)
and sensualism (the emphasis on the
senses). Essentially all that exists is
matter. There's nothing beyond it. It is
the final reality. When you're dead
you're dead. 2,500 years ago, Confucius
took a middle road. He did not emphasize
the supernatural but sought to bring
China back to basics. His practical
approach to life impacted Eastern
culture for many generations and can be
seen in many modern existential
approaches to psychology. His emphasis on
tradition is also supported by cognitive
psychology. People like structure. We like
routines consistency and predictability.
Our annual holidays and celebrations
bring us comfort and a connectedness to
our families and past. Contrary to many
depictions, Confucius was a large strong
man. Married at 19, he fathered a son and
two daughters but what we know of
Confucius is not from his family but
from the writings of his followers. These
writings (the analects) were banned as
early as 213 bc but have survived to adorn
countless posters, calendars and, yes,
fortune cookies.
The sayings include: to be wronged is
nothing unless you continue to remember
it. It is only the wisest and the
stupidest who cannot change. Our greatest
glory is not in never failing but in
rising every time we fall. But the
philosophy of Confucius is not limited
to fortune cookies. Confucius is the
Latin version of K'ung-fu-tzu (master
k'ung). His real name is Ch'iu K'ung but
he's also known as K'ung-fu'tzu or simply
K'ung. Born in the province of Lu, what is
now Shandong, China. He was poor but a
descendant of a noble family that had
been deposed at a time when China was
plagued with political corruption.
Confucius emphasized the importance of
honor and virtue. He wanted China to go
back to the good old days. Not the good
old days of 20 or 30 years earlier.
Confucius wanted to go back to the times
of Emperor Yao, 2300 BC. Confucius was a
traditionalist. He didn't see himself as
creating new things, just being faithful
to the old. The challenge he said is how
to take the old and make it your own. At
age 22 Confucius began a private school,
a sort of finishing school for young
executives. The curricula is centered on
six arts: arithmetic or mathematics, music,
calligraphy (for writing Chinese
characters and for its own artistic
beauty), chariot handling (drivers ed?),
ritual (protocol and ceremony) and archery
(an early version of the minutemen or the
NRA). Like Pythagoreanism, Confucianism
involves the whole person. It's not a
religion but a political and
philosophical approach to every part of
life. Confucius' focus was not on the
supernatural. He emphasized ethics and
morality and family values, such as duty,
kindness and faithfulness. To a corrupt
feudal China, Confucius brought a message
of honor. His five virtues (kindness,
decorum, wisdom, faithfulness and honesty)
were in direct opposition to the intrigue
and decadence of his time. About the same
time as Confucius, Pythagoras is
influencing thought on the other side of
the world.He was born on Samos Island,
off the coast of Turkey,
but there is little agreement on the
other details of his life. His followers
thought him divine and tended to describe his
life with a mix of reality and mythology.
Like Confucius, it's difficult to separate
Pythagoras contributions from that of his
followers. It is best to think of him as a
founder of a movement. When Pythagoras
settled in southern Italy, he establish a
community devoted to his beliefs. Many of
the discoveries attributed to Pythagoras,
including the Pythagorean theorem, where
the work of his followers. Pythagoreanism believes in the harmony of the
universe, the ultimate principle of
proportion and the orderliness of
thought. According to this view, the best
way to understand the mysteries of life
is through obedience, self-examination
and simplicity of food and dress. The
pythagoreans believe that planets,
including earth, were not flat but were
spheres rotating around a common fire. They also believed in the transmigration of
souls. So it was not unusual that
Pythagoras said he could remember all of
his previous lives, including having been
a warrior in the Trojan war. Believing
that the ultimate explanation of
everything could be found in numbers, the
pythagoreans viewed mathematics as a
part of a religious, philosophical and
political approach to life. They also
believed in the liberating power of
abstinence, vegetarianism and the
equality of the sexes. They maintained a
very structured life of music, exercise,
study and common meals. Sayings
attributed to Pythagoras include: wisdom
thoroughly learned will never be
forgotten. Anger begins in folly and
ends in repentance. Choose always the way
that seems the best however rough it may
be. Custom will soon render it easy and
agreeable. Reason is immortal, all else
mortal.
 
