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Psychology Cannot Quantify Its Research, Do Experiments, or Be Based on Behaviorism

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Epistemology of the Human Sciences

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Classical Liberalism ((PASTCL))

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Abstract

There are no laws in psychology, only probabilistic rules of behavior. The history of each unique subject and inability to impose rigid control of behavior without influencing behavior guarantees the impossibility of experimentation or the discovery of inexorable laws. Psychology is restricted to demonstration studies: empirical but not experimental. Behaviorism is the application of phenomenalism (presentationalizm): all that exists for science is overt behavior. Realism (representationalizm) is abandoned for instrumentalism: theories are just shorthand data summaries, never having “real” hypothetical constructs. Behavioristic external control buys regularity only by turning subjects into purely physical objects. Realism is superior to phenomenalism: it explains why different independently evolved senses point to one thing outside sense experience—an independent real world.

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  1. Washington, PA, USA

    Walter B. Weimer

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Correspondence to Walter B. Weimer .

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Weimer, W.B. (2023). Psychology Cannot Quantify Its Research, Do Experiments, or Be Based on Behaviorism. In: Epistemology of the Human Sciences. Palgrave Studies in Classical Liberalism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17173-4_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17173-4_5

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-17172-7

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