I find it very interesting that 3 of 4 respondents so far feel the question is unanswerable. That’s a perfectly legitimate response. I didn’t think to add it as option ‘F’. I only ask for thoughtfulness and honesty. But when I consider the amount of time and energy and money spent, and ink spilt over the past 120 years in the field of psychology, I’d rather expect a definitive ‘YES!’ – that the net effect is definitely positive and here are some of the accomplishments; a, b, c, d, and e. Why should the question lead into the surreal?
You do know, I hope, that my intention is not to be critical of you in any way or to try to bring you over to the "dark side"
- Cindy
Cindy - in 358 posts I’ve yet to read anything you’ve written that even comes close to being offensive to anyone – which is more than I can say for my own posts. You do exude an air of mother/counselor kindness and wisdom. I rather like criticism, if it is thoughtful and sincere. In my personal mythology hell is the place where everyone agrees on everything except rank. Rank and politics are worthless unless there is an underlying belief in the value of truth, beauty, and goodness. Criticism should be in the service of all three. And I don’t consider psychology a ‘dark side’. You make me laugh. I have this vision of you wearing a Darth Vader mask and speaking in a deep whisper, “Join me NoMan. Come over to the dark side. If only you knew the power of the force.”
But I’m aware that some people do see psychology as a ‘dark side.’ Psychology and religion have had a historical antagonism, so religious folks are sometimes wary. Jesus is the life, truth, and way – not some scientific, self defined psycho-guru. I think Jung bridges the chasm between science and religion - earning him some degree of disrespect from both sides, and making him all the more attractive to us. But from my experience psychology has as many naysayers who aren’t religious. An interest in psychology is for them, a sort of litmus test of one’s emotional health. So it’s fine for a person to talk about their ideas, feelings, motivations, and psychosocial problems, to speculate on the minds of those people close to them, and to develop solutions to their problems – just so long as it is not officially called psychology or psychotherapy.
To a certain degree, psychologists do have an aura of shamanic powers in our culture. Who knows what secret powers lurk in their ability to unleash, and control, all that is private, sacred, and terrifying in the human unconscious (hoo hoo ha ha ha – sinister indeed). A naïve view - but I suspect, an attitude psychologists have to deal with.
However, my poll question is philosophical, not political. One of the first works after WWII on Nietzsche was Walter Kaufman’s
Nietzsche, Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist. Nietzsche felt it was time to throw Christianity out the window. Over a hundred years later, it doesn’t look like Christianity is going anywhere any time soon. Campbell was a great admirer of Nietzsche – but in my mind, no enemy of Christianity. Such is the way of philosophy.
I didn’t ask if psychology should be thrown out the window. I only ask for a philosophical assessment of its worth and progress. It seems reasonable to me, playing philosopher. But then, I imagine what it would be like to ask a bunch of practicing economists, who are working on real problems, whether the practice of economics has ever done anything worthwhile for humankind. Could be construed as somewhat of an insult.
So forgive me Cindy if I have sinned…
- NoMan