What is modern psychology and how did it get here? How and why did psychology come to be the world's most popular science?

"A Conceptual History of Psychology" charts the development of psychology from its foundations in ancient philosophy to the dynamic scientific field it is today. Emphasizing psychology's diverse global heritage, the book explains how, across centuries, human beings came to use reason, empiricism, and science to explore each other's thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.

The book skilfully interweaves conceptual and historical issues to illustrate the contemporary relevance of history to the discipline. It shows how changing historical and cultural contexts have shaped the way in which modern psychology conceptualizes individuals, brains, personality, gender, cognition, consciousness, health, childhood, and relationships.

PART 1. FOUNDATION: THE ROOTS OF PSYCHOLOGY
1. People, History, and the Concept of Psychology
2. Spirituality, Philosophy, and the Concept of The Mind
3. Knowledge, Empiricism, and the Concept of Science
PART 2. FORMATION: FROM PHILOSOPHY TO PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
4. Demons, Asylums, and the Concept of Madness
5. Brains, Evolution, and the Concept of Human Nature
6. Quantification, Measurement, and the Concept of Race
PART III. FERTILITY: THE EMERGENCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SUBFIELDS
7. Freudianism, Instincts, and the Concept of Sexuality
8. Behaviourism, Will, and the Concept of Freedom
9. Cognitivism, Computers, and the Concept of Reason
10. Individuals, Groups, and the Concept of Society
PART 4. FUTURE: LIMITATIONS AND LEGACY
11. Perspectives, Diversity, and the Concept of Bias
12. Good, Bad, and the Concept of Morality