In the 1600s philosopher and physiologist Rene Descartes was concerned with how the mind and body worked in coalition. He then went on to write the first physiological psychology extended essay about his theory of automatic reaction. He suggested that the body could affect the mind and that the mind can create a physiological affect on the body. Rene’s physiological and psychological theorising in his work and literature became the starting point for other investing psychological phenomena.
Empiricisms rise in the 1600s from philosophers and academics John Lock, Francis Bacon and David Hume impacted on the way psychology is thought about today. They believed the study of mind should be following observational and experimental techniques.
Other Philosophical ideas that influence psychology today came from philosopher Gottfried Wilhem Leibniz (1646-1716). He suggested the theory of the ‘unconscious’ and his conception would go on to influence Freud’s psychoanalytic approach.
Physics played a huge crucial part in the development of psychology. In 1834 a physicist educated in biology, Gustav Theodor Fechner (1801-1887), was appointed professor of physics at the University of Leipzig. As a lecturer and professor at the University, Fechner laid the groundwork in experimental methodology. Drawing influence from theories such as Rene Descartes he developed the relationship between mind and matter by experimenting on and writting books about visual and sensory perception. The cognitive approach today incorporates the perceptual systems and work can be found on visual constancies and the nature/nurture debate.
Fechner is regarded as having proved that psychology was an actual measureable science and as a mathematician the value of using scientific quantitative