Personality and Personality and Psychotherapy from Psychotherapy from the Perspective of the Perspective of

the Tree of the Tree of Knowledge System Knowledge System

Gregg Henriques, Ph.D.Gregg Henriques, Ph.D.Dept of Graduate Dept of Graduate

PsychologyPsychologyJames Madison James Madison

UniversityUniversityhenriqgx@jmu.eduhenriqgx@jmu.edu

A Plea for the Integration A Plea for the Integration of Human Knowledgeof Human Knowledge

In this time of divisive tendencies within and between the nations, races, religions, sciences and humanities, synthesis must become the great magnet which orients us all…[Yet] scientists have not done what is possible toward integrating bodies of knowledge created by science into a unified interpretation of man, his place in nature, and his potentialities for creating the good society. Instead, they are entombing us in dark and meaningless catacombs of learning. (Reiser, 1958, p. 2-3).

The Tree of The Tree of Knowledge Knowledge

SystemSystemA New Map of the

Sciences

What is the ToK?What is the ToK?The Tree of Knowledge (ToK) System is a new scientific humanistic philosophy that offers a novel way to view of the evolution of complexity.

This new view affords new opportunities to build bridges between the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities. As such, it cuts across the disciplinary spectrum and offers a new opportunity for scholars of all stripes to engage in dialogue about the nature of knowledge.

“From the Big Bang to the whole shebang: quantum gravity, the modern evolutionary synthesis, B.F Skinner and Sigmund Freud, the ToK connects huge pieces of the puzzle of knowledge and offers new, unified picture that could revolutionize, well, almost everything.”

Psychology Defined was Selected as the ISI Hot Paper of the Month in Psychiatry/Psychology

Since the outline of the unified theory was published in 2003, there has been quite a bit of activity on the system

Two special issues of the Journal of Clinical Psychology were devoted to the critical examination and elaboration of the system

A Special Section on the Theory is forthcoming in T & P

The ToK System was Built in The ToK System was Built in Response to Psychology’s Response to Psychology’s Inability to Define ItselfInability to Define Itself

The 19th-century belief that psychology can be an integral discipline, which led to its institutionalization as an independent science, has been disconfirmed on every day of the 112 years since its presumptive founding. When the details of that history are attended to, the patent tendency has been toward theoretical and substantial fractionation (and increasing insularity among the “specialities”), not toward integration.

Koch, S. (1993). “Psychology” or “the psychological studies”?

American Psychologist, 48, 902-904.

The Unified View The Unified View Changes the Perspective Changes the Perspective on the “Single Schools”on the “Single Schools”

Four Major Individual Four Major Individual Level Psychotherapy Level Psychotherapy

PerspectivesPerspectives

Psychodynamic

Humanistic

Cognitive

Behavioral

More active, problem focused, empirical,

more focused on being happy and behaving

effectively

Greater focus on relationship, less active,

less empirical, more focused on insight and

making meaning

Negative CaricaturesNegative Caricatures

Psychodynamic

Humanistic

Cognitive“Cold Debater”

Behavioral

“Pointless Pontificator”

“Mindless Behaver”

“Simplistic Sympathizer”

Single Schools of Single Schools of Psychotherapy from the Psychotherapy from the

Vantage Point of the Vantage Point of the Unified TheoryUnified Theory

The Justification The Justification HypothesisHypothesis

Defining what makes humans Defining what makes humans so uniqueso unique

The Justification Hypothesis The Justification Hypothesis is the Mind-to-Culture Joint is the Mind-to-Culture Joint

PointPoint

What Is the Justification What Is the Justification Hypothesis?Hypothesis?

The JH is the notion that humans The JH is the notion that humans have an elaborate self-awareness have an elaborate self-awareness system because the evolution of system because the evolution of language created the problem of language created the problem of justification. In brief, humans justification. In brief, humans became the only animal that had became the only animal that had to explain why it did what it did.to explain why it did what it did.

The Three Claims That The Three Claims That Organize the JHOrganize the JH

1.1. Freud’s fundamental observation was that Freud’s fundamental observation was that the human consciousness system functions the human consciousness system functions as a justification filter for behavioral as a justification filter for behavioral investments.investments.

2.2. This justification filter evolved because This justification filter evolved because language creates the “problem of language creates the “problem of justification.”justification.”

3.3. The Justification Hypothesis provides the The Justification Hypothesis provides the psychological foundation for a unified psychological foundation for a unified theory of culture and links the individual theory of culture and links the individual level of analysis (human psychology) with level of analysis (human psychology) with the social level (macro social sciences) the social level (macro social sciences) using the same language of justification using the same language of justification systems.systems.

What Does the JH Do?What Does the JH Do?

Provides the framework for understanding Provides the framework for understanding evolutionary changes in mind that led to evolutionary changes in mind that led to the emergence of human culturethe emergence of human culture

Links self-awareness at the individual level Links self-awareness at the individual level to cultural belief systems at the group levelto cultural belief systems at the group level

Defines what makes humans unique Defines what makes humans unique Provides functional conception of self-Provides functional conception of self-

awarenessawareness Suggests human psychology is different Suggests human psychology is different

from animal psychologyfrom animal psychology Links the natural and social sciencesLinks the natural and social sciences

Behavioural Behavioural Guidance Guidance SystemSystem

Justification Justification SystemSystem

OVERT BEHAVIOROVERT BEHAVIOR

Filtering

The Justification Hypothesis The Justification Hypothesis SuggestsSuggests

Two Domains of JustificationTwo Domains of Justification

Explaining ourselves to ourselvesExplaining ourselves to ourselves Within the context of self-awareness Within the context of self-awareness

(private)(private) The “Freudian Filter”The “Freudian Filter”

Explaining ourselves to othersExplaining ourselves to others Within the social context (public)Within the social context (public) The “Rogerian Filter”The “Rogerian Filter”

Conclusion: Conclusion: The ToK Maps the ElephantThe ToK Maps the Elephant