Missed opportunities: speculation on what Japanese psychology could have been.
Takasuna (Integr. Physiol. Behav. Sci. 41, 2007) mentioned the ease with which evolutionary theory was accepted by Japanese psychologists, and certainly this is admirable. He also mentioned the stubborn force which had to be used to gain an understanding of the (thoroughly Western) subjective objective distinction. Alas, during the formative years of Japanese psychology, there was much philosophical work afoot attempting to destroy that distinction. It is speculated that only a small change of which books were translated, or with which Americans early Japanese psychologists trained under, would have made Japan into a haven for these still underdog theories.
Charles
Eric P
EP
Department of Psychology, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, USA. ECharles@clarku.edu
D001527:Behaviorism / Q000266:history*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003469:Culture; D036262:Empirical Research; D005008:Ethnopsychology / Q000266:history*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D011589:Psychology, Experimental / Q000266:history*; D011593:Psychology, Social / Q000266:history*; D014481:United States; D047789:World War II