European Yearbook of the History of Psychology. Sources, Theories, and Models

EYHP leaflet 2015-1Dear friends and members of the ESHHS,
we are pleased to present to you the following journal which might be of interest to many of us: The European Yearbook of the History of Psychology. Sources, Theories, and Models.

The European Yearbook of the History of Psychology. Sources, Theories, and Models (EYHP) is devoted to the history of psychology, and especially to the interconnections between historiographic survey and problems of epistemology. With an eye on the interdisciplinary nature of cultural studies, the Yearbook pays special attention to those common areas between psychological research and its adjacent disciplines, in particular the human and the life sciences (philosophy, sociology, anthropology, psychiatry, physiology, neurology, biology, zoology, etc.). Aimed primarily at historians and philosophers of psychology, epistemologists, historians of philosophy, and historians of human sciences, the Yearbook is also open to contributions from all areas of psychology that address a phenomenon or topic of interest in psychology from a historical perspective and/or with an epistemological approach. Besides original essays, the Yearbook encompasses the following sections: Unpublished and archival material; Discussions (a space where authors can confront one another and discuss specific topics); Interviews; Book reviews and reading recommendations.

EYHP leaflet 2015

New book publication on teleology and genealogy

image-service.aspDear members and friends of the ESHHS,
some of you might be interested in the following book publication:

“From Aristotle’s Teleology to Darwin’s Genealogy – The Stamp of Inutility” by Marco Solinas.

Starting with Aristotle and moving on to Darwin, Marco Solinas outlines the basic steps from the birth, establishment and later rebirth of the traditional view of living beings, and its overturning by evolutionary revolution. The classic framework devised by Aristotle was still dominant in the 17th Century world of Galileo, Harvey and Ray, and remained hegemonic until the time of Lamarck and Cuvier in the 19th Century. Darwin’s breakthrough thus takes on the dimensions of an abandonment of the traditional finalistic theory. It was a transition exemplified in the morphological analysis of useless parts, such as the sightless eyes of moles, already discussed by Aristotle, which Darwin used as a crowbar to unhinge the systematic recourse to final causes. With many excerpts, a chronological sequence and an analytical approach, this book follows the course of the two conceptions that have shaped the destiny of living beings in western culture.

You can order the book directly at the publisher’s website.

ESHHS 2015: Call for papers online

The European Society for the History of Human Sciences (ESHHS) invites submissions to its annual conference to be held at University of Angers, France, from July 7th‐10th, 2015.

Papers, posters, symposia, or workshops may deal with any aspect of the history of the human, behavioral, or social sciences and/or with related historiographic and methodological issues. Submissions (either for papers, posters, symposia
or workshops) must be received by March 10th, 2015.

For further information please see our Call for papers.

Next ESHHS Conference

Our host and current secretary of the ESHHS, Sharman Levinson, has confirmed that our next conference will be held from July 7th-10th, 2015 in Angers, France. A conference website will be constructed soon, so recheck this page for conference updates in mid-september!

Goodbye Oulu!

Bike tour around OuluAfter spending four wonderful days in Oulu, Finland, we had to say goodbye to the wonderful atmosphere of Oulu and Lasaretti, where our current president Petteri Pietikäinen and his team hosted the 33rd ESHHS conference. A big “Kiitos” goes to Petteri and his team for letting us have such a wonderful experience in Finland!

For those who could not attend the conference we put up some images from the conference and the landscape in our gallery (Thanks to Csaba Pleh and David Robinson!). Also, Roger Smith’s keynote can be found on his homepage. We also congratulate Kim Hajek for receiving this year’s Early Career Award!

Our next conference will be taking place in Angers, France. Our local organizer will be Sharman Levinson, the current secretary of the ESHHS board. We are all looking forward to meeting friends old and new there!

Book award for ESHHS president!

hulluuden_historia-pietikainen_petteri-22477450-1255822921-frntlPetteri Pietikäinen, current president of the ESHHS, received the prestigious Finnish national Kanava Award for the best non-fiction book of 2013 for his recent publication “Hulluuden historia” (“History of Madness”).

The awarding committee noted that the book tells an impressive story of how madness has been an intrinsic part of human experience and social organization. It suggests a new perspective on the role of madness in history, one expressed through the variety of ways in which madness has been explained and treated over time.