Cognitive Psychology Through the Ages: From Aristotle to Chomsky

The mid-twentieth century and onwards observed the advancement of cognitive

psychology, currently one of the most promising and important disciplines within the
field of psychology. Basically, cognitive psychology deals with the processing of
information within the human brain and is associated with such human experiences and
capabilities as the development of language, the extent of attention, memory, and
perception, and the scope of human critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Furthermore, cognitive psychology deals with the processing of information and posits
that all incidents of human information processing are a timely event that engages in a
series of processes in order to process such information.
Therefore, it is simple for one to conceptualize on cognitive psychology by
viewing it as a branch of psychology that examines the numerous mental processes that
develop, are experienced, and used by human beings, from perceiving a glorious
mountain view to translating a sentence from English to French. There are certain mental
processes that are taking place in order to process and make sense of information. Like
other psychological disciplines, cognitive psychology posits that it offers insight into the
working mechanisms of the human mind and brain and therefore relates to human
experiences, behavior, functions, and capabilities. Cognitive psychology allows one to
translate the processes and mechanisms of information processing to social, political, and
cultural developments throughout history and in contemporary times.
The history and development of cognitive psychology begins, like many other
psychological disciplines, with the work and ideas developed by Greek philosopher
Aristotle. From this point on there have been many individuals who have influenced and

developed cognitive psychology and have made grand contributions whether directly or
indirectly. However, due to practical reasons not every single philosopher will be
discussed and examined but the most noteworthy individuals and those that make it most
practical to connect the historical developments of cognitive psychology will be used.
Beginning with the theories of Aristotle, this research initiative will then move onto the
work of Isaac Newton.
Next, cognitive psychology was assisted by the influential work of Rene
Descartes followed closely by the British Empiricism headed by such individuals as
Hume and Berkley. Following British Empiricism the development of cognitive
psychology can be examined through the theories of Charles Darwin, one of the most
influential thinkers of his time, and the philosophy of materialism. Finally, cognitive
psychology was spearheaded in the twentieth century by numerous psychologists but two
noteworthy individuals who will be the focus of attention here are Donald Broadbent and
Noam Chomsky, who contributed dramatically to the field of linguistics in a manner
connected to the advancements of cognitive psychology and fiercely opposed to
behaviorism.
Aristotle is one of the most influential thinkers and individuals in the history of
academia. Both a philosopher and a scientist well ahead of his time, Aristotle was born in
the fourth century BC in a Macedonian city. One of the greatest influences on Aristotle
on his theories begins with his enrollment in Plato's Academy at the age of eighteen.
Remaining busy under the auspices of Plato's academy until the age of thirty-seven,
Aristotle furthered his career as an assistant and advisor to Alexander the Great.
Nevertheless, it is Aristotle's accomplishments in science that has truly allowed the

advancement of academia as he is widely considered human civilization's first real

scientist that future scientists base many of their teachings on.
One of the primary associations with cognitive psychology and reasons that the
history and development of cognitive psychology begins with Aristotle concerns his
emphasis on the physical sciences. Furthermore, Aristotle's theories of psychology deal
with the philosophy of associations in which sensory abilities and perceptions associate
on one another in order to proceed with the formation of knowledge. In this sense,
Aristotle has made a great connection to the associations of cognitive processes that take
place in order to allow the development of something like language or the processing of
information towards certain aspects of human experience such as memory and
perception. Furthermore, Aristotle made further contributions to the eventual
development of cognitive psychology through his teachings of similarities and contrast,
in which a thought about an idea or concept will eventually lead to a second thought
about another idea or concept that is similar in nature.
On the other hand, the thought of a certain concept or thought will also eventually
lead an individual to think about a concept or idea that is contrary, or opposite, to the
original idea. This type of accusatory method of thinking precludes to the eventual
development of cognitive psychology and its explanation of how information is
processed. What is even more important about the theories and ideas of Aristotle is that it
sparked the debate over whether it is nature or nurture that heavily influences the
upbringing of a offspring in a defined environment, a debate that cognitive psychology
has been deeply involved in, especially in opposition to behaviorism.

Following Aristotle, cognitive psychology, its history and development, can be

examined through the theory of Isaac Newton, one of the most revered minds in areas
such as mathematics and physics. An English scientist who is often credited as the main
individual who spearheaded the scientific revolution in the seventeenth century, Newton
influenced mathematics and physics dramatically but at the same time the history of
cognitive psychology is also relevant to this work and ideas. So one may ask how
Newton's work contributed to cognitive psychology or psychology in general.
Basically, his contributions to cognitive psychology have largely to do with his
developments in modern science. For example, according to Cushing (1998), Newton
developed the scientific method that is composed of "observation, the formulation of
hypotheses designed to predict events and outcomes, and the subsequent testing of these
hypotheses through further observation. In this way, the scientific method worked toward
the revelation of ever more general explanatory laws" (n.p.). Just as important to the
situation was the fact that Newton was able to apply his scientific methods to actual
physical observations.
Cognitive psychology deals with the interplay of mental processes that take place
in the human brain in order to allow for the process of information and the
conceptualization and understanding of the world in one's environment. Newtons
physical theories are associated with this principle of cognitive psychology because his
theories posited, "everything behaved in a mechanistic or machine-like fashion because
the behavior of everything was determined by the impact of the same set of basic forces"
(Cushing, 1998).
British

Empiricism

 Descartes
Darwin/Materialism
Broadbent/Chomsky

http://www.sagepub.com/banyard/Sample%20Chapters/32590_02_Banyard_02.pdf
http://home.sandiego.edu/~taylor/coghist.html