Freud And Wundt Research Paper

A More Hopeful Perspective on the Nature of Humans

William Wundt and Sigmund Freud were both very prominent neurologists and psychologists. Wundt focused on the scientific aspect of psychology. He focused primarily on studying the mind through empirical experiments. Wundt contributed to the theory and idea of structuralism in psychology, which is the idea that every experience in the mind can be separated into their own individual parts. Before Wundt, psychology was regarded as a philosophy and was focused majorly on rational rather than scientific evidence. Wundt introduced the scientific, experimental side of psychology and opened up the world’s first laboratory in the world that was dedicated exclusively to psychology and psychological experiments.

It aims to understand what it means to be human and how the human mind works. Many philosophers, psychologists, and physiologists debate the connection, or distinction, between mind and mody. Both Freud and Wundt had very interesting ideas when it came to human nature. They were both masters of their fields and very important figures in cognitive psychology, however, their ideas were very different. And that is exactly what cognitive psychology consists of- disagreeing about the nature of knowing, and of knowledge, and of human nature. Freud introduces his text “Instincts and Their Vicissitudes” by saying that no science is built upon clear concepts, but rather applying different ideas, sometimes abstract ideas and sometimes ideas from other sources, to the “material in hand.” That is why it is so important that there are disagreements and different perspectives- so that science can continue to advance and grow. If everything was just as is, there would be no room to

Of these three polarities we might describe that of activity—passivity as the biological, that of ego—external world as the real, and finally that of pleasure—unpleasure as the economic polarity.” Freud's view on the role of instinct and drive in the connection between mind and body seems to be lacking clarity. He believes that all humans are driven by sex, but this is not true, nor does it seem to have any scientific backing. He seems to simplify the human condition far too much, and not really appreciate its complexities or the individuality of humans in general. I believe that Wundt is correct in treating the mind as a completely separate entity from the body and I also agree with his emphasis on the importance of recognizing that they are different areas of study as well. Wundt closes his writing by saying ‘they have tended to regard as superfluous any reference to the physical organism; they have supposed that nothing more is required for a science of mind than the direct apprehension of conscious processes themselves.” In saying this, he addresses the issue of the human psyche not being studied enough independently, and subsequently and single handedly legitimized the science of the psyche- psychology. I