Forgotten Streams in the History of 19th–Century German Psychology Volume 1

The 19th century was a defining era for psychology, rich with an intellectual diversity that shaped modern thought but which remains largely overlooked. The roots of 20th century thought can be traced to the 19th century, when a mechanical worldview took hold, society grew increasingly secular, modern urban metropolises emerged, and evolutionist ideas reshaped the understanding of nature's developmental principles. Throughout this century, the natural sciences extended beyond their traditional limits, influencing and reshaping the human, moral, and social sciences, among which psychology was especially impacted, as this transformation sparked profound debates on the very possibility of a science of the soul.