Key thinkers
Discover more about pychology’s ‘Key Thinkers’ throughout history.
Klaus Holzkamp (1927–1995)
The career of Holzkamp can be divided into four phases: the pre-critical period, the critical-emancipatory period, the critical-conceptual period, and the subject-scientific period.
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Sigmund Freud (1856–1939)
Freud was very much a product of his age. He was influenced by the 19th century dominance of science and technology – the success of physics, chemistry, and biology. Freud believed that scientific methods could be applied to the human mind. There was a spirit of social reform – mental institutions were arising and organization for social welfare like the Salvation Army were appearing. Freud sought to develop a science of mental life that would improve life. There was also an emphasis on morality and duty. Victorian society repressed sexuality in favor of so-called moral behavior. Freud's theories reflect the sexual repression of the period.
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Karen Horney (1885–1952)
Whereas Freud believed any analysis of mental difficulties required a trained analyst, Horney was more optimistic. Freud disregarded the ability of people to change their own personalities but Horney had a greater belief in people. Besides, how many poor people could afford the extreme costs of psychoanalysis. As a result, Horney was one of the first to write, affordable, self-help books.
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Alfred Adler (1870–1937)
Adler called his approach individual psychology because it expressed his belief that every human personality is unique and indivisible (Ewen, 1988). His emphasis on the individual did not preclude the social. The social element was an ‘all-important’ factor since it is only in a social context that an individual becomes an individual.