Psychology, Roman History, and the Unity of Academic Knowledge

Introduction

One interesting point that psychology and Roman history share is that both build on what has come before. Roman civilization owed a great debt to the influence of ancient Greece, and the field of psychology likewise owes a great debt to humanism. Although psychology is often associated with Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, humanism helped move psychology in a more practical direction. Psychologists like Adler, Piaget, Erikson, and Bandura have focused on the role that human society plays in nurturing and shaping human development. Rather than examining the suppression of urges that drive human behavior, Adler asserted that every human being is responsible for his own actions, can know what he wants, and can take steps to achieve it. The idea that the human psyche was somehow unknown or unknowable was rejected by the humanists.

From the humanist tradition came the very common application of cognitive behavioral therapy, which is widely used in therapy today because it focuses on helping people identify behavioral and thought patterns that lead to negative or destructive actions, and to counter these triggers with positive alternatives in thought and behavior. Rome similarly owed a great deal to the mythology, philosophy, and learning of Greece. Rome renounced its kings after Tarquin the Proud: Junius Brutus led the revolt against the corrupt king, and Rome established its Republic — building on the democratic system that Athens had initiated that same century. Rome, however, was not truly a democratic republic but rather a fusion of democracy, aristocracy, and monarchy. The Republic eventually became an Empire under Caesar Augustus.

Just as Rome developed ideas over time and constantly reinvented itself, the field of psychology has done the same. Both subjects also relate to the broader division of academic knowledge, and this paper explains how.

The Importance of Inclusion

What made Rome great from the beginning was its inclusivity. It started out in many ways like early America — welcoming everyone who wanted to come and live there. People from other places flocked to Rome because there was a spirit of freedom and equity in the Roman culture of its early days. No one tried to lord it over others or insist that everyone conform to a narrow set of preconceived values. Universal values and ideals were fostered in a way that allowed for openness of discussion and a fertility of ideas. Rome became great because it did not box itself into any narrow conception of how things ought to be. It welcomed life in all its varied aspects and simply looked to nurture a good life for all. Of course, there were problems, challenges, and conflicts along the way, but Roman history is filled with stories of heroes who rose to the occasion — people like Cincinnatus, who left his farm to lead Rome in battle and then returned to his farm rather than remain in a political capacity after completing his service to the state. Above all, Rome was inclusive and open-minded.

This inclusivity relates directly to the division of academic knowledge. In school, students are often pushed into corners or boxes; they are told to become specialists in a particular field or branch, and all they know is that narrow area with its very limited view of things. They acquire a great deal of academic knowledge about their specific field but remain somewhat cut off from other fields and disciplines. They develop a compartmentalized view of things rather than a holistic one.

What would have happened to Rome if it had developed itself in a compartmentalized way — restricting who could be part of Rome and what Romans could do? It would never have risen as it did in the ancient world. It would have cut itself off from the various forces of life that sustained it and allowed it to cultivate ideas on a large stage. The division of academic knowledge should not lead to compartmentalization; rather, it should open doors and windows to myriad ideas and systems of thought so that the most holistic view of life possible can be obtained. The various disciplines can actually complement one another and help one understand how fields develop and how one field can enhance another when they are related. Everything is connected because life is one large, integrated — albeit complex — phenomenon, wherein history, philosophy, psychology, politics, religion, economics, and sociology all interact inextricably.

Conclusion

The goal of education is to enlighten and to foster understanding. An approach to education rooted in inclusivity is valuable because it allows one to remain open to various disciplines and to use the insights of those disciplines to deepen understanding from one field to the next. Psychology and Roman history are very different subjects, yet they can overlap and illuminate one another, especially when one applies the perspectives of social science and the humanities. History, psychology, literature, art, and politics all belong together because they collectively represent the whole of the human experience. Every aspect of that experience is worth studying so as to have a better sense of the whole.