What is modern psychology and how did it get here? How and why did psychology come to be the world's most popular science?"A Conceptual History of Psychology" charts the development of psychology from its foundations in ancient philosophy to the dynamic scientific field it is today. Emphasizing psychology's diverse global heritage, the book explains how, across centuries, human beings came to use reason, empiricism, and science to explore each other's thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.The book skilfully interweaves conceptual and historical issues to illustrate the contemporary relevance of history to the discipline. It shows how changing historical and cultural contexts have shaped the way in which modern psychology conceptualizes individuals, brains, personality, gender, cognition, consciousness, health, childhood, and relationships.

PART 1. FOUNDATION: THE ROOTS OF PSYCHOLOGY1. People, History, and the Concept of Psychology2. Spirituality, Philosophy, and the Concept of The Mind3. Knowledge, Empiricism, and the Concept of SciencePART 2. FORMATION: FROM PHILOSOPHY TO PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE4. Demons, Asylums, and the Concept of Madness5. Brains, Evolution, and the Concept of Human Nature6. Quantification, Measurement, and the Concept of RacePART III. FERTILITY: THE EMERGENCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SUBFIELDS7. Freudianism, Instincts, and the Concept of Sexuality8. Behaviourism, Will, and the Concept of Freedom9. Cognitivism, Computers, and the Concept of Reason10. Individuals, Groups, and the Concept of SocietyPART 4. FUTURE: LIMITATIONS AND LEGACY11. Perspectives, Diversity, and the Concept of Bias12. Good, Bad, and the Concept of Morality