Hierarchies of Brain and Being: Abraham Maslow and the ...
Transcript of Hierarchies of Brain and Being: Abraham Maslow and the ...
Background
AbrahamMaslow
KurtGoldstein
ResearchQues;ons
Methods
HierarchiesofBrainandBeing:AbrahamMaslowandtheOriginsofTheHierarchyofNeedsinGermanBrainScience
Fig.3 Fig.4
HistoricalEvidenceandArguments Conclusions
• Thisresearchtellsthehistoryofhowatheory–thathumanshaveahierarchyofneeds–emergedin1943fromlargerconflictsinthestudyofthebrainandthehumanbeing.
• KurtGoldstein,aneurologistwhofledNaziGermany,inspiredayoungAmericanpsychologistAbrahamMaslowwithaforcefulcri;queofsciencethatinspiredhimtocreatethehierarchyofneeds(Fig.3).
• Thetheoryiswidelytaughtinbusinessschoolstoday,andevenusedtobuildcorporatestrategy.Moreimportantly,itisusedbymorethanfeweverydayAmericanslookingforpersonalsuccess,anddeeperexperiencesofspirituality.
• Thisresearchisabouthowwemakesenseofourlivesbyscience;andhowscience,andtheragingdebatesofwhatcons;tutesscience,shapesNature–andourinnerworld.
DanielCoonan,[email protected]
Fig.1
Fig.2
Localization Map of the Functions of the Brain
• Whataretheoriginsofthehierarchyofneeds?• InwhatwayswasMaslowinfluencedbytheworkofGerman
neurologistandbiologist,KurtGoldstein?• Whatis‘holism’inGermanscience?WhatroledidGerman
brainscienceplayinthecrea;onofthehierarchyofneeds?• Dotheoriesofthebrainshapepsychologicaltheoriesofthe
mindandself,andviceversa?Ifso,how?• Whatlargerhistoricaltrendsandconflictsbecomevisible
throughinquiryintotheoriginsofthehierarchyofneeds?
• Goldsteinwrotealargecri;queofsciencecalledTheOrganismwhileinexileinAmsterdamin1934.Hear;culatesHolismasascien;ficmethodandageneraltheoryofscience.
• Goldsteinformsthecri;queofsciencebasedonamodelofthebrain,knownas‘localiza;on’,thathefeltledtopoormedicaltreatmentsofbrain-injuredpa;ents
• Localiza;ontheorydescribesthebrainascomposedofdis;nctparts,ratherthanasaunifiedwholethatrelatestothewholeorganism(Fig.2).Thetheoryhasrootsinbothphrenology(Fig.1)andBri;shempiricalphilosophyandpsychology.
• MaslowreadTheOrganisminthelate1930sandlatercitesGoldsteinashisbridgetoholis;cscience
• Maslowdefinedholismasamethodwhichrequiresunderstandingthe‘wholeperson’beforeestablishingfactsaboutpsychologicalphenomenalikemo;va;onandneeds
• Maslowconductsastudyofself-esteemandsecurityinwomenusingthisholis;cmethodin1939andthensynthesizesthefindingsintoatheoryofahierarchyofneeds
• Theconceptsof‘needs’,‘hierarchy’,‘crea;vity’,and‘self-actualiza;on’arefoundinmanypassagesinTheOrganism
• TheextenttowhichGoldsteininfluencedMaslowhasnotbeenrecognizedandhasbeenvastlyunderappreciated
• Maslowismuchmorecomplexhistoricalfigurethanhasbeenodenportrayed.Heisasmuchmercurialasop;mis;c.
• Theoriesofpsychologyandmoralphysiology“make”theanatomyofthebrain,whichinturnshapesfuturetheoriesofthemind.Thisprocesscon;nuesintothepresent.
• Scien;ficparadigmsofthelargeruniverseandnaturedeeplystructuretheoriesofthebrainandmind.Astheseparadigmschange,sodohumans’experiencesofselfandhavingamind.
• Psychologyactsinauniquemannertomediatephilosophy,scienceandculture
• Psychologicaltheorieslikethehierarchyofneedshaveprofoundlyreshapedselhood,popularunderstandingsofmindednessandthepossibili;esofspiritualityincontemporarylife
• Eveninbiologicalscience,thelinebetweencultureandscienceisnotbright
• BiographicalResearch• HistoriographicalResearch• PrimarySourceResearch• TextualAnalysis• Compara;veAnalysis• HistoricalAnalysisandArgumenta;on
AcknowledgementsIwouldliketoprimarilythankandexpressgra;tudetomythesisadvisor,Dr.RobertAbzug,forguidanceandsupportofmyprojectovermanyyears.Addi;onally,theDirectoroftheHistoryHonorsProgram,Dr.DeniseSpellberg,providedfeedbackanddirec;onforseveralofthechapters.Addi;onalreadersIwouldliketothankare:Dr.TracyMatysik,Dr.MichaelSchmidt,andDashiellDaniels.Iwouldalsoliketoacknowledgeimportantcontributorstomyintellectualdevelopmentovertheyears:Dr.GeorgeForgie,Dr.ChadSeales,Dr.StevenSonnenbergandDr.RobertSolomon.AndafinalbigthanksgoestotheHistoryDepartmentAdvisingandAdministra;veStaff,especiallymyfriendsJudyHoganandNancySutherland.
References1. Photosandillustra;onsarefromthepublicdomain,exceptfor“Maslow’s
HierarchyofBasicsNeeds,”whichwasobtainedfromCarolTribe’sProfilesofThreeTheories:Erikson,MaslowandPiaget(1982)
2. ForGoldstein’skeyworksee:KurtGoldstein,TheOrganism(NewYork:ZoneBooks,1995)
3. ForMaslow’simportanttextwithessaysonholis;cmethodaswellasthejournalar;clethatpresentsthetheoryofahierarchyofneedssee:AbrahamMaslow,MoCvaConandPersonality,1sted.(NewYork:Harper&Row,1954)
4. Fullbibliographyavailableuponrequest