From science of the soul to modern psychology: The evolution of psychological knowledge from the empire to the republic

The discipline of psychology and psychological knowledge fundamentally transformed definitions and perceptions of human knowledge in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The interest in comprehending the individual and social nature of human beings can be perceived as a phenomenon of modern times. Nevertheless, the shades of gray and the non-linear process of the development of knowledge can also be observed in the evolution of psychological knowledge. As a matter of fact, this process involves accumulation and encompasses both continuities and ruptures in the developmental stages of psychological knowledge. In this respect, the influence of various sources and determinants on the historicization of psychological knowledge's development should not be underestimated. This kind of historiography transcends the limits of teleological substitution, where rational and experimental psychology replaces human knowledge derived from religious, traditional and metaphysical sources of thought, proving that this focus is effective in defining shades of gray, continuities and ruptures. In this framework, linking the process of scientific knowledge development with historical facts and examining the political, social, and particularly mental influences on scientific progress will unveil an effective historiography. Considering the historical process of the development of psychological science and psychological knowledge in Turkey, both in the late empire and in the early republican period, Turkey offers suitable and unique conditions for the historiography mentioned above. The first theme of this historiography is that psychological descriptions of the human being and their psyche consider theological, metaphysical, and traditional elements of thought as significant sources of knowledge. The translation activities, which changed and became widespread depending on the development process of modern psychological knowledge in Europe, prepared a suitable environment for the reproduction of psychological knowledge in a philosophical structure. In addition to this, the combination of these two phenomena has characterized the general theme of this historiography. The second main theme in this study and historicization is that the aforementioned dualistic line of development has acquired epistemological qualities within various political and social contexts. This framework attempts to contextualize the identified phenomena within the influences of various historical events and conditions. It seeks to map the developmental areas and sources of psychological knowledge in a temalarla kapsamında, creating a holistic and comprehensive framework. The study focuses on crucial historical events such as the Second Constitutional Era, the First World War, the War of Independence, and the social and cultural challenges during the Early Republican Era. It examines the relationship between these events and psychological knowledge, with a specific emphasis on scientific changes and developments.