On irritable machines and sensitive minds. Body images and soul metaphors in the early modern era and enlightenment

Abstract

Exploring the historical sources of contemporary metaphors in psychological research and theory, this text aims to put the metaphors of body and soul in western science and philosophy into a new perspective. Focusing on the rationalistic and technicistic roots of physiology and psychology in 19th century, which go back to the beginnings of industrialization and enlightenment, the cultural and philosophical preconditions of the sciences of body and soul are highlighted. Following Philipp Sarasins analysis of the discourse of hygienics, the popular reception of the »irritable machine« shows the formation of an enlighted, civic and male dominated constitution of the western body discourse in 19th century. In the last chapter, the popularity of machine-metaphors in science is demonstrated also in the field of early academic psychology, as exemplified in the works of Herbart and Ebbinghaus.Key Words: History of Psychology, Philosophy of Psychology, Metaphors in Psychology, Mechanicism, metaphors of body and soul