Andreas Sommer Eugene Taylor, whose death in January 2013 was a heavy blow to history of psychology and William James scholarship, was one of the few modern historians to fully acknowledge and try to make sense of James’s by no means casual occupation with spiritualism, telepathy and other unorthodox areas of inquiry. The main fruits of Taylor’s … Read more
A half-day workshop with presentations from the members of the UCL Centre for the History of Psychological Disciplines on the interaction between psychedelics and psychotherapy UCL Centre for the History of Psychological Disciplines Saturday, 26 July 2014, 14:30 to 21:30 Arts and Humanities Common Room (G24), Foster Court, Malet Place University College London 2:30 pm- … Read more
On a recent article published in History of Psychiatry by historian of psychical research Carlos Alvarado. For the original article, see http://hpy.sagepub.com/content/25/2/237.abstract.
James Kennaway, PhD, is a Historian of Medicine at Newcastle University. His book Bad Vibrations: The History of the Idea of Music as a Cause of Disease is a study of the notion that music can cause illness, from eighteenth-century fears of over-stimulated nerves to the Nazi concept of ‘degenerate music’, concluding with a discussion … Read more
While modern popular science still often relies on traditional claims of the inherent incompatibility of science and ‘magic’, no location in Britain, and perhaps the whole Western hemisphere, is more apt to challenge popular standard notions of the alleged disenchantment of science than Cambridge.
Since its foundation in 1882, the Society for Psychical Research (SPR), the first large organisation to scientifically investigate controversial phenomena associated with mesmerism and spiritualism, has boasted a considerable number of notable physical scientists among its members. They included, for example, the discoverer of thallium and president of the Royal Society, William Crookes, the pioneer … Read more
A few weeks ago I was asked if I would like to teach a four-lectures course on history of psychology in the Natural Sciences Tripos and other programmes. Naturally I accepted, but proposed a focus that fundamentally differs from more conventional ways the history of psychology has been taught. Rather than merely addressing landmarks on … Read more
Benjamin David Mitchell is currently completing his PhD in Science and Technology Studies at York University, Canada. His doctoral study is concerned with Friedrich Nietzsche’s idea of the Übermensch as developed from his engagement with nineteenth century science and scientific popularization, particularly from Nietzsche’s understanding of physiological aesthetics, self-regulation, vivisection, and the physiology of the … Read more
Three days ago we celebrated the birthday of Francis Bacon (1561-1626), who is commonly considered as a pioneer of modern inductive science. Here are a few quotes from his writings which may have a strange ring to modern ears – particularly to those accustomed to the popular myth of Bacon as a precursor of secularism … Read more
Alexis Smets took his Masters degrees in Philosophy and in Philosophy of Science at the University of Brussels. He subsequently began his doctoral studies in the History of Philosophy and Science at the Radboud University Nijmegen (The Netherlands). His doctoral research is about the imagery in early modern books of chemistry. Modern views on alchemy … Read more