What is Psychology
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21483777 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sergio Álvarez-Fernández (0009-0007-4309-4544, Consejería de Educación del Principado de Asturias, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 84-94 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Papeles del Psicólogo - Psychologist Papers (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0214-7823 • E-ISSN: 1886-1415 |
| Publisher | Grupo Editorial Psicofundacion (PUBLISHER • ES) |
| DOI | 10.70478/pap.psicol.2026.47.10 |
| OpenAlex | W7163430427 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 9 |
This paper addresses the question "What is psychology?" and seeks to resolve some of its epistemological entanglements: its plurality, the definition of its object of study, and its presumed pre-scientific nature caused by an eternal struggle between schools of thought. It is concluded that psychology is not one discipline but many, and that to qualify as a science, it must be one of what are known as the "genetic functions." The paper also presents attempts to establish a foundation for this general psychology, ultimately proposing a controversial thesis: that such a project is impossible as it would necessarily remain philosophical. All these entanglements are attributed to the problematic nature of the ideas of function and finality
Academic and Historical Perspectives in Psychology · Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy · Social Representations and Identity
| Highly cited | No |
|---|