At 3:28 PM -0600 2/19/01, G. Marc Turner wrote:
>The difference lies in the "way of knowing" about the world.
Or, the way we talk about the world.
>Philosophy relies on a rational/logical approach to determing "truth".
Philosophers make statements about the world, and test them by their
agreement with other statements according to a set of verbal rules
(sometimes called 'logic').
>Psychology relies on the scientfic method to determine "truth".
Scientists make statements about the world (often called 'predictions'),
and test them by observing the accuracy of those predictions -- collecting
data.
>Philosophy says "here's the rational answer" whereas psychology says
>"here's a possible answer... now let us go out, gather data and test to see
>if that answer holds up."
>
>I was a philosophy major at one point many years ago and it was the need
>for testing the claims that drew me to psychology.
>
>At least, that's the major difference in my mind. It is important to note
>that psychology did grow out of philosophy.
The original term for science (or what we refer to as 'the sciences') was
'natural philosophy. Psychology was the most recent spinoff from natural
philosophy -- about a century ago.
It's interesting that some of the pragmatists (philosophers such as Quine
and Rorty) seem to be drifting back towards data as a justification for
their statements (Yes I know that Quine is recently deceased, but his work
is very much alive!).
* PAUL K. BRANDON [EMAIL PROTECTED] *
* Psychology Dept Minnesota State University, Mankato *
* 23 Armstrong Hall, Mankato, MN 56001 ph 507-389-6217 *
* http://www.mankato.msus.edu/dept/psych/welcome.html *
