Maslow's "Transhumanism": Was Transpersonal Psychology Conceived as "A Psychology without People in it"?
Journal of Humanistic Psychology 1998 DOI: 10.1177/00221678980381007 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the transhuman/inhuman critique misreads Maslow, who used "transhuman" to denote the human capacity for universal values, not a departure from human concerns; the transpersonal extends psychology's vision of the human. |
Abstract
What we may call the transhuman/inhuman critique states that transpersonal psychology is centered on cosmic issues rather than on human ones and so is not a human psychology at all. Abraham Maslow's statements to the effect that the transpersonal is "transhuman, centered in the cosmos rather than in human needs" are considered evidence of this position. Analysis of Maslow's lesser known writings indicates that Maslow, somewhat like J. Huxley, used "transhuman" to indicate the essentially human capacity to desire universal values like justice and truth over the satisfaction of purely personal needs. Thus, the transhuman/inhuman critique is based on a misreading of Maslow. The transpersonal is not inherently unpsychological or divorced from human concerns; rather, it represents an extension of psychology's vision of the human.