World History of Psychology: An Ambivalent Assessment

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November 11, 2025

Advanced civilizations on every continent have developed their own psychologies. In his “World History of Psychology,” Hannes Stubbe describes the diverse, often incompatible, creative developments that have taken place over the centuries. In the long term, however, the empirical approaches of the Greek physician Aristotle have prevailed worldwide – and have been further developed in some cases and narrowed in others in forms of Anglo-American-European psychology.

A Global History of Psychology An Introduction

Aristotle (384-322 BC) already recognized the unity of psyche and physique (physis) – in humans, animals, and plants, each in different ways. Only the “anima rationalis” is reserved for humans. "Aristotle's psychological writings mark the beginning of ancient academic psychology in the narrower sense, and their influence extends to the present day – for example, when the significance of his ‘triplexity theory’ (matter-form-entelechy) for the psychocybernetic treatment of the psycho-physical problem is recognized. In his work on ‘memory and recollection’, Aristotle for example developed the foundations of later association and learning theories ...”

In two writings on dreams, Aristotle did not reflect on a higher power, but concentrated on empirical observations, e.g.: “In the hustle and bustle of the day, certain stimuli that indicate a change in the physical, emotional, or mental realm cannot prevail; they are overlaid or suppressed by stronger impressions in the waking state, but return during sleep.” Gods and magic play no role. Therefore, the charge of godlessness is not surprising; Aristotle could only escape the impending death sentence by fleeing.

However successful modern psychology, as shaped by Aristotle, may be, Stubbe takes an ambivalent view of its instrumentalization, e.g.

- It promotes the development of consumer society

- It promotes a capitalist economic order

- Psychology can be used to exercise power and control over people

- Psychology can help resolve social conflicts

- Psychology promises to heal a ‘sick society’

“Scientific, academic psychology has been practiced in the US and many Western universities for around 150 years. Has this improved societies and people?” Stubbe “answers” his question with a detailed account of psychological research and practice in the service of manipulation, secret services, the military, terrorism ...

Nevertheless, he sums up the global history of psychology as “serious, but not hopeless.”

A Global History of Psychology
An Introduction
Stubbe, Hannes
Pabst, 638 pages

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