Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology

Radical enactivism: A guide for the perplexed.
In the last 20 years, cognitive science has been revolutionized by enactive cognition. However, claims by enactivists that enactive cognition reforms much of our thinking about the nature of minds, and our relationships with nature and each other, have not always been easy to follow and hence a certain perplexity which has been further confounded by arguments between various enactivists. This article offers some clarification of some of the central claims of enactivism by drawing on past figures in philosophy and psychology, borrowing and extending already popularized metaphors, elucidating some key concepts, and explicating one of the central arguments within enactivism. Combining relevant inferences and intuitions from the past with recent ones from radical enactivism facilitates the emergence of a more responsible and responsive understanding of human nature: one that allows us to attune to each other and to nature more fully. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
An innovative methodological/pedagogical approach to the comprehension of Hegel’s legacy.
Georg Hegel left an immense intellectual legacy that has the potential to change the life of mankind for the better. The article is based on speculative methods of research and aims to rethink the scientific efforts of scholars who were engaged in the study and interpretation of Hegel’s philosophy and his concepts. The purpose of the article is to study the philosophical thought of Georg Hegel. The article was written using the analysis of scientific papers to identify the fundamental principles of Hegel’s philosophy; the mental modeling was used to recreate the visual concept; the method of idealization was necessary to create a simplified implementation model of a particular phenomenon; induction and deduction methods were also applied. As the result, a more detailed concept of Hegel’s four objective methods can be designated: ACA (the cycle of ascent from the Abstract to the Concrete and the subsequent descent to the Abstract), AAC (ascent from the Abstract to the Concrete), DCA (descent from the Concrete to the Abstract), and CAC (the cycle of descent from the Concrete to the Abstract and the subsequent ascent to the Concrete), as well as their meaning in practical and abstract cases. In the course of the study, the following conclusions were made: the logical, functional schematic design of the individual paradigm determines the transparency of understanding and visibility of the causal phenomena of the environment, which logically ensures harmonious development, an increase in the quality of life, and an increase in its duration. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Five contenders for the title “philosophy of psychology”.
All science eventually runs up against philosophical issues, and psychology is no exception. In fact, psychology, because of its subject matter, the investigation of human and animal behavior, engages philosophical questions rather quickly, especially since the cognitive revolution reengaged the mind. Hence, psychology cannot avoid consideration of a philosophy of psychology. This essay discusses five prominent candidates for the title, “philosophy of psychology”: Scientific Realism, Functionalism, Social Constructionism, Phenomenological Hermeneutics, and Classical Realism and, for each, presents a brief review of the philosophical roots, consideration of metaphysical and epistemological claims, and a presentation of how those claims would impact the construct generalized intellectual ability, “g.” (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
An analysis of types and targets of coercive interference.
Over time, coercion, the use of power to influence someone to do what they do not want to, has become subtler, arguably because of both social pressure to reduce coercion in society and new technologies that can make it less detectable. This article draws on discussions within philosophy and psychology to reflect on the adequacy of existing definitions of coercion given this trend. A taxonomy of coercion types that combines philosophical concepts of freedom and coercion with the three-term contingency from behavioral psychology suggests that current definitions miss some of the subtler methods of coercion, particularly those that impact positive freedom. Theoretical contributions and practical applications of the taxonomy are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Cultural pragmatism: In search of alternative thinking about cultural competence in mental health.
Researchers have tended to approach cultural competence through two primary models: acquisition of culturally tailored skills and orientation to cultural process. While each model plays an important, complementary role in cultural competence, both can be limited in conceptualizing and responding to cultural variations of distress. This article draws on research in multicultural psychology, psychological anthropology, and pragmatic philosophy to introduce cultural pragmatism, an alternative orientation to cultural competence that reconceptualizes what it means to hold something to be true in the mental health fields. This article first draws on research in multicultural psychology and psychological anthropology to identify an important limitation regarding how truth is understood in contemporary cultural competence models, and how this limitation can impact culturally competent care. Following this, the article considers philosophical pragmatism as an alternative and introduces a preliminary model for practicing cultural pragmatism in clinical settings. As a whole, this article makes two interrelated arguments: first, that a better articulated theory of truth is needed to achieve the goals of cultural competence, and second, that cultural pragmatism can help resolve the limitation that cultural competence approaches currently exhibit. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology - Vol 44, Iss 1