A Critical Look at Wittgenstein's Opinions on Psychology

Year 2019, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 130 - 142, 30.11.2019

Onurcan Yılmaz , Fatih Bayrak Sinan Alper

https://doi.org/10.30613/curesosc.556600

Abstract

In the first half of the twentieth century, Wittgenstein claimed that philosophy is ended in his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus and that he found the solution to all questions previously asked in philosophy. He later traveled the world and changed his mind in the early stages of his work, especially after reading Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. Psychology was also influenced by these changes as in the other social sciences and was influenced by the philosophy of Wittgenstein at the paradigmatic level. In this paper, the relationship of Wittgenstein's philosophy with the science of psychology and with contemporary social psychology in general is critically examined. Specifically, we argue that Wittgenstein's philosophy contributed to the emergence of the critical psychology movement and led mainstream psychology to scrutinize their decontextualized and individual-focused approach. In order to support this argument, a brief history of psychology in general and social psychology in particular will be given first. Then, two different portraits of Wittgenstein, which we call as the early and late periods of him, will be explained and finally, the impact of Wittgenstein's work on psychological studies will be discussed.

Keywords

Social Psychology, Wittgenstein, Critical Psychology, History of Psychology

Wittgenstein’ın Psikoloji Bilimine Dair Görüşlerine Eleştirel Bir Bakış

Abstract

Wittgenstein 20. yüzyılın ilk yarısında Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus adlı yapıtında felsefenin öldüğünü ve felsefede bugüne kadar sorulmuş tüm soruların çözümünü bulduğunu iddia etmiştir. Daha sonraları dünyayı dolaşmış ve özellikle zamanını Kierkegaard ve Nietzsche okuyarak geçirdikten sonra erken dönemlerinde savunduğu düşüncelerini değiştirmiş ve hem dil felsefesinde hem de bilim felsefesinde paradigmatik bir değişikliğin ilk zeminini ortaya koymuştur. Sosyal bilimlerin genelinde olduğu gibi psikoloji de bu değişimlerden ve Wittgenstein’ın felsefesinden paradigmatik düzeyde etkilenmiştir. Bu yazıda genel olarak Wittgenstein’ın felsefesinin psikolojiyle ve bugünün sosyal psikolojisiyle olan ilişkisi eleştirel olarak incelenmiştir. Özel olarak ise, Wittgenstein’ın felsefesinin, eleştirel psikoloji akımının ortaya çıkmasına ve ana akım psikolojideki bağlamdan kopuk, birey odaklı yaklaşımların irdelenmesine katkı sunduğunu savunuyoruz. Bu argümanı savunmak için ilk olarak psikolojinin ve özel olarak sosyal psikolojinin kısa bir tarihi verilecektir. Daha sonrasında erken dönem ve geç dönem olarak ayırdığımız iki farklı Wittgenstein portresi anlatılacak ve son olarak Wittgenstein’ın çalışmalarının psikolojik çalışmalara olan etkisi tartışılacaktır.

Keywords

Sosyal Psikoloji, Wittgenstein, Eleştirel Psikoloji, Psikoloji Tarihi

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