Background

AbrahamMaslow

KurtGoldstein

ResearchQues;ons

Methods

HierarchiesofBrainandBeing:AbrahamMaslowandtheOriginsofTheHierarchyofNeedsinGermanBrainScience

Fig.3 Fig.4

HistoricalEvidenceandArguments Conclusions

•  Thisresearchtellsthehistoryofhowatheory–thathumanshaveahierarchyofneeds–emergedin1943fromlargerconflictsinthestudyofthebrainandthehumanbeing.

•  KurtGoldstein,aneurologistwhofledNaziGermany,inspiredayoungAmericanpsychologistAbrahamMaslowwithaforcefulcri;queofsciencethatinspiredhimtocreatethehierarchyofneeds(Fig.3).

•  Thetheoryiswidelytaughtinbusinessschoolstoday,andevenusedtobuildcorporatestrategy.Moreimportantly,itisusedbymorethanfeweverydayAmericanslookingforpersonalsuccess,anddeeperexperiencesofspirituality.

•  Thisresearchisabouthowwemakesenseofourlivesbyscience;andhowscience,andtheragingdebatesofwhatcons;tutesscience,shapesNature–andourinnerworld.

DanielCoonan,DepartmentofHistorydaniel.coonan@utexas.edu

Fig.1

Fig.2

Localization Map of the Functions of the Brain

•  Whataretheoriginsofthehierarchyofneeds?•  InwhatwayswasMaslowinfluencedbytheworkofGerman

neurologistandbiologist,KurtGoldstein?•  Whatis‘holism’inGermanscience?WhatroledidGerman

brainscienceplayinthecrea;onofthehierarchyofneeds?•  Dotheoriesofthebrainshapepsychologicaltheoriesofthe

mindandself,andviceversa?Ifso,how?•  Whatlargerhistoricaltrendsandconflictsbecomevisible

throughinquiryintotheoriginsofthehierarchyofneeds?

•  Goldsteinwrotealargecri;queofsciencecalledTheOrganismwhileinexileinAmsterdamin1934.Hear;culatesHolismasascien;ficmethodandageneraltheoryofscience.

•  Goldsteinformsthecri;queofsciencebasedonamodelofthebrain,knownas‘localiza;on’,thathefeltledtopoormedicaltreatmentsofbrain-injuredpa;ents

•  Localiza;ontheorydescribesthebrainascomposedofdis;nctparts,ratherthanasaunifiedwholethatrelatestothewholeorganism(Fig.2).Thetheoryhasrootsinbothphrenology(Fig.1)andBri;shempiricalphilosophyandpsychology.

•  MaslowreadTheOrganisminthelate1930sandlatercitesGoldsteinashisbridgetoholis;cscience

•  Maslowdefinedholismasamethodwhichrequiresunderstandingthe‘wholeperson’beforeestablishingfactsaboutpsychologicalphenomenalikemo;va;onandneeds

•  Maslowconductsastudyofself-esteemandsecurityinwomenusingthisholis;cmethodin1939andthensynthesizesthefindingsintoatheoryofahierarchyofneeds

•  Theconceptsof‘needs’,‘hierarchy’,‘crea;vity’,and‘self-actualiza;on’arefoundinmanypassagesinTheOrganism

•  TheextenttowhichGoldsteininfluencedMaslowhasnotbeenrecognizedandhasbeenvastlyunderappreciated

•  Maslowismuchmorecomplexhistoricalfigurethanhasbeenodenportrayed.Heisasmuchmercurialasop;mis;c.

•  Theoriesofpsychologyandmoralphysiology“make”theanatomyofthebrain,whichinturnshapesfuturetheoriesofthemind.Thisprocesscon;nuesintothepresent.

•  Scien;ficparadigmsofthelargeruniverseandnaturedeeplystructuretheoriesofthebrainandmind.Astheseparadigmschange,sodohumans’experiencesofselfandhavingamind.

•  Psychologyactsinauniquemannertomediatephilosophy,scienceandculture

•  Psychologicaltheorieslikethehierarchyofneedshaveprofoundlyreshapedselhood,popularunderstandingsofmindednessandthepossibili;esofspiritualityincontemporarylife

•  Eveninbiologicalscience,thelinebetweencultureandscienceisnotbright

•  BiographicalResearch•  HistoriographicalResearch•  PrimarySourceResearch•  TextualAnalysis•  Compara;veAnalysis•  HistoricalAnalysisandArgumenta;on

AcknowledgementsIwouldliketoprimarilythankandexpressgra;tudetomythesisadvisor,Dr.RobertAbzug,forguidanceandsupportofmyprojectovermanyyears.Addi;onally,theDirectoroftheHistoryHonorsProgram,Dr.DeniseSpellberg,providedfeedbackanddirec;onforseveralofthechapters.Addi;onalreadersIwouldliketothankare:Dr.TracyMatysik,Dr.MichaelSchmidt,andDashiellDaniels.Iwouldalsoliketoacknowledgeimportantcontributorstomyintellectualdevelopmentovertheyears:Dr.GeorgeForgie,Dr.ChadSeales,Dr.StevenSonnenbergandDr.RobertSolomon.AndafinalbigthanksgoestotheHistoryDepartmentAdvisingandAdministra;veStaff,especiallymyfriendsJudyHoganandNancySutherland.

References1.  Photosandillustra;onsarefromthepublicdomain,exceptfor“Maslow’s

HierarchyofBasicsNeeds,”whichwasobtainedfromCarolTribe’sProfilesofThreeTheories:Erikson,MaslowandPiaget(1982)

2.  ForGoldstein’skeyworksee:KurtGoldstein,TheOrganism(NewYork:ZoneBooks,1995)

3.  ForMaslow’simportanttextwithessaysonholis;cmethodaswellasthejournalar;clethatpresentsthetheoryofahierarchyofneedssee:AbrahamMaslow,MoCvaConandPersonality,1sted.(NewYork:Harper&Row,1954)

4.  Fullbibliographyavailableuponrequest