The implicit philosophy of man in Carl Rogers' psychology

Abstract

Carl Rogers' contribution to Psychology has been an important one. In a poll by the American Psychological Association he was ranked third after Freud and Skinner as the therapist whose ideas have most influenced contemporary psychology. I think it is fair to say that his influence has gone beyond the sphere of psychology. His own interests have been wide and various, for example, in political theory, and education. The recent years he has been mostly involved in Encounter groups, T groups or Sensitivity Training groups. He has in no way restricted himself to the formulation of theory but been involved practically on a very wide variety of areas. His thought is part of the movements of 'Humanistic Psychology', an alternative to objectivistic, behaviouristic psychology and to orthodox Freudianism which stresses the importance of 'becoming one's self'. His thought has been influenced by the growing interest in Existentialism as an alternative philosophy, with its stress on the ultimate importance of the total individual and both the methodology and content of Existentialism has influenced Rogers. For these reasons I have considered it important to take a look at Rogers implicit Philosophy of Man. Here I will first give an outline of Rogers' Theory of Therapy, limiting myself to that area of this thought. I will then attempt to show certain similarities between this and existentialist thought bringing out in the process an aspect of Rogers' Philosophy of Man. Next I will raise some questions both of a psychological and philosophical kind.