Example Of Critical Thinking On Reaction Boring’s Professional Autobiography

In his professional autobiography, Boring discusses the journey in the field of psychology from early years and draws conclusions from personal experience and formal schooling. Boring lists his encounters with professionals in the area of engineering, psychology, and administration in different universities and times, and also elucidated his personal conflicts from the self, family, and professional life. The most striking aspect of the work are the psychological perspectives such as motivation and ego, determinism and free will, and the relationship between philosophy and psychology and how he championed for the separation of the two disciplines at Harvard.
Boring noted that motivation and ego were central aspects of human nature and that external environment contributes to the development of perspectives in life. He pointed out that he had an eternal conflict between the desire for power and success and approval and affection. It is imperative that these conflicting forces became the outstanding sources of motivation in his entire life. Professor Maslow’s hierarchy of needs anchors well with Borings ideology on motivation intrinsically and extrinsically. After getting the basic needs that the family provided, he struggled for love in the household and also tried to fit in various groups such as the debating club and institutions that offered him a job. Although he had an intrinsic motivation to gain an education and freedom from patronage, he was also keen for the monetary rewards and also the fame or approval from fellow scientists.
Moreover, it is intriguing how Boring discussed the delicate balance between determinism and free will. I concur with his assertion that free will is delusional. From his early life, the family’s social, and economic state that relates to the bigger social-economic activities of the time and the vulnerabilities of the society such as wars that emerged influenced him. Cultural aspects also determine among other things the perceptions that one gains despite one’s intelligence and formal education. For instance, the role of different members of the family and religious beliefs shape relationships among the community members, and as a consequence controls expectation(s). For example, Boring indicated that E. P. Cubberley felt that departmental chairpersons should relinquish their power at forty-five years and leave power to younger men.
Besides, Boring highlighted the connection between philosophy and psychology and the initial conflicts of the two disciplines. He stated that when electing Harvard’s chair of psychology, he was part of the ad hoc committee that favored biotropic psychology over the philosophical one. While in Harvard, philosophy and psychology co-existed in one department until 1934 when he moved a motion to split them into the division of philosophy and psychology; and moved another motion in 1936 abolishing the divisions. The proposals were approved and for the first time, there was no philosophical interference in psychological studies in Harvard. I believe that this move created the independence that made psychology a full-fledged discipline that still stand today in Harvard and other institution across the world. However, there still exist some connection in a synergetic manner other than competitive such as the study of the mind, motivation, and morality among others.