A History of Social Psychology: From the Eighteenth-Century Enlightenment to the Second World War

The term ‘social psychology’ was first established in the 1860s but the issues surrounding the subject have evolved over a much longer period. This book follows the history of the discipline over two and a half centuries, demonstrating the links between early and current thought. The first attempts at empirical approaches were made in France during the Enlightenment whilst some modern ideas were also being anticipated in Scotland. The search for laws of mind and society began in nineteenth-century Europe and, by the end of the century, it changed direction. Darwinian theory made a powerful impact on the emerging discipline and the centre of gravity began to move to America where it reached maturity during the inter-war period. A History of Social Psychology is viewed against a background of radical social and political changes and includes sketches of the major figures involved in its rise.