Psychology and the Notion of the Spirit: Implications of Max Scheler's Anthropological Philosophy in Theory of Psychology.
Olga V Lehmann, Sven Hroar Klempe
Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science September 2015 DOI: 10.1007/s12124-015-9295-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Max Scheler's notion of the spirit, as an interdependent yet separate entity from the psyche and soma, remains relevant for psychological theory and has been applied in logotherapy and existential analysis for at least 60 years. The authors emphasize four interrelated notions—resentment, axiology of values, self-detachment, and self-transcendence—as central to the motivational quality of the spirit. |
Abstract
After many decades with neglect Max Scheler and his anthropological contributions to the understanding of human existence, have gotten more attention in psychology and other humanities. One factor is the actuality of his main project of revaluating the roles of values in philosophy and science. Yet another is the way individual scholars have applied Scheler's philosophy and terms on different fields and arenas. Viktor Frankl was one of these, and he brought Scheler's philosophical anthropology into psychotherapeutic practice, offering theoretical and empirical arguments for considering the notion of the spirit as an interdependent -yet separate- entity in regards to the psyche and the soma. During this commentary on Allyushin (Integrative Psychology Behaviour, 48, 503-523, 2014), we will discuss some general aspects of Scheler's contribution to phenomenology, but focus specifically on the implication of his notion of the spirit for psychological theory, acknowledging the work that has been done in the field for at least 60 years in logotherapy and existential analysis. With this purpose, we will highlight four other notions interrelated with the motivational quality of the notion of the spirit: resentment, axiology of values; self-detachment and self-transcendence.