II (a) - Vol. 1 Chapter 1: The Proper Understanding of a Valid Psychology

So, since there isn't much discussion, heh, I'll go over what I see as the critical points. If one doesn't understand these, ask questions. If one doesn't like what I say, comment. And, for sure, add anything else you want to the thread.

This chapter attempts to discern what makes a proper science and how a science should approach its object, and then considers psychology.

There are two types of intellect: Practical and Speculative; both are designed to know truth
- Practical intellect seeks the truth for action (e.g., ethics or morals)
- Speculative intellect seeks the truth for knowledge (e.g., metaphysics)

Every valid science has three constituents: the material object, the formal object, and the method

- The material object is what the science studies (e.g., chemistry - chemical reactions)
-- Differences in material objects separate the sciences; speculative sciences: philosophy; practical sciences: ethics, chemistry
-- Sciences can overlap either by being a branch of another science (inorganic chem and chemistry) or sublaternate to it (epistemology receives principles from philosophical anthropology, logic, and metaphysics)

- The formal object is the perspective a science looks at something; the point of view St. Thomas calls the ratio.
-- Philosophy differs from empirical sciences by the formal object
-- philosophy considers things by their essences, empirical sciences by their physical parts/ processes

- The method is proper to each science, and the formal object determines the method of proceeding.
-- Empirical sciences would use physical tests, philosophy does not because metaphysical objects cannot be measured, etc.
-- The method answers quomodo (how)

Modern psychology views man as a material or physical thing, and has for its material object the intellect. This view is flawed given the material object is the intellect
- Faculties reside in the body/soul composite or soul alone, intellect is one of these faculties
- Psychology should recognize the object of study is not just material
- Modern psychology has ignore the ontological constitution of man

The formal object of psychology is (mental) health
- Differs from epistemology because epistemology studies the intellect for how it knows rather than health
- Differs from philosophy because it only considers a part of man (the intellect)

The method is philosophical
- Empirical sciences require a physical object which the intellect is not - it is both material and immaterial
- Both must be considered, and the appropiate mehtod is inductive and deductive which is appropriate to philosophy

The rest of the chapter applies these principles and briefly discusses modern psychology, psychiatry, etc. in this framework.