I’ll get a little personal.

A little more than a decade from now I will be retiring from empirical research. With no intention of continuing in academe but still with the energy to go riding at an old age like my friend Tex, what can I do to pay for gas?

I thought, I’ve been practicing rational psychology as a side interest for years. Is that even a thing nowadays? Can it be monetized?

What’s it about?

Rational psychology is this old-school way of thinking about the mind and soul. It comes from the 17th and 18th centuries, when people were trying to figure out what makes people tick. They were focused on the idea of an immaterial soul or mind that’s different from our bodies.

What’s the focus?

The rational psychologists like Rene Descartes (1596-1650) (after whom this blog is named) were in deep into the nature of consciousness and its origins in the soul. But, they weren’t looking under the hood. They didn’t have brain scans or DNA sequencing, or questionnaires; instead, they were deducing the nature of that mysterious stuff based on first principles, such as the operations of intellect and will.

How’d they go about it?

They mostly sat around thinking instead of doing experiments. They used logic and common-sense reasoning to deduce the nature of mind and soul and its relation with the body. It was a field of “mind experiments” more akin to mathematics than to clinical psychology.

What did they think was going on?

The rational psychologists thought that the mind (or soul) was like a ghost in the machine. They figured this mind-ghost was born with some built-in ideas like a program to explain why individual ghosts can even understand each other. Artificial intelligence researchers described their field as rational psychology at some point.

What about actions?

Actions were orders coming down from the mind HQ. If you grab a slice of pizza, it’s your soul making the call.

How does rational psychology compare with “other” psychologies?

We can put rational psychology side by side with three other important psychological approaches: Freudian, Jungian, and empirical psychology. Let’s compare them:

	Rational	Freudian	Jungian	Empirical
Overview	Uses reason and logic to understand mental processes and behavior. Does not place much emphasis on unconscious motives or emotions.	Emphasizes the unconscious mind and how it influences behavior. Unresolved conflicts from childhood have a profound impact on adult behavior.	Emphasizes the role of the unconscious. View of the unconscious is more comprehensive and less focused on sexuality.	Emphasizes empirical evidence and the scientific method to understand behavior and mental processes. Grounded in the collection of data through observation, experimentation, and measurement.
Focus	Logical and rational thinking, decision making, and the cognitive aspects of behavior.	Unconscious motives, defense mechanisms, sexual and aggressive drives, the influence of early childhood experiences.	Concepts such as archetypes, the collective unconscious, individuation, balance of opposing forces (e.g. masculinity and femininity) within the psyche.	Observable and testable behaviors and mental processes. Encompasses topics like memory, learning, cognition, emotions, and social interactions.
Methods	Logical analysis and argumentation. Closely related to philosophical psychology.	Patients are encouraged to explore their unconscious thoughts through free association and dream analysis.	Uses dream analysis, exploration of myths, and engaging with the imagination as therapeutic techniques.	Experiments, surveys, case studies, employs statistical analysis to test hypotheses and draw conclusions.
Critiques	May overlook the complexities of human emotion and the subconscious mind.	Lack of empirical evidence, focus on sexual motives, as unscientific. Historically significant for having first emphasized the importance of the unconscious mind.	Lack of empirical evidence, more akin to a philosophical or spiritual system than a scientific psychology.	Can overlook the depth and richness of human experience, and may be limited in addressing aspects of the human mind that are not easily measurable.

Freudian and Jungian psychologies are historically significant, and continue to be influential in certain domains. But empirical psychology is considered to be the foundation of modern psychology; it dominates the field today due to its grounding in the scientific method and empirical evidence.

Rational psychology is like an old relic. But aside from science having its limits, rational psychology in its grounding in metaphysics continues to hold importance in the contemporary world of knowledge for the following reasons:

1. Understanding fundamental concepts: Rational psychology deals with fundamental concepts such as being, nature, intellect and will. These concepts are used to build theories and models in empirical psychology and applied fields, e.g., human resources management.
2. Basis for scientific inquiry: Empirical psychology often uses philosophical assumptions. For instance, the idea of will is a rational assumption that underpins the scientific method. Understanding the metaphysical foundations of empirical psychology can lead to a deeper understanding of scientific theories.
3. Ethical and moral frameworks: Philosophical inquiries into the nature of mind and values play a significant role in shaping ethical and moral frameworks. This has practical implications in areas like bioethics, human rights, and social justice.
4. Mind-Body problem: The central concern of rational psychology is understanding the relationship between the mind and the body. This has implications in neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and consciousness studies. The debate on the nature of consciousness and its relation to the physical brain is an area where philosophy directly intersects with science.
5. Addressing limitations of science: While science is excellent at explaining the empirical world, it often falls short in addressing questions that go beyond empirical observations, such as “What is free will?” or “What is the nature mind?”. Rational psychology can provide frameworks and tools for engaging with these deeper questions.
6. Critical analysis: Rational psychology helps in critically analyzing assumptions that underlie different systems of thought. For instance, it helps in analyzing the assumptions that underlie different economic theories, political ideologies, or interpretations of history.
7. Interdisciplinary insights: Philosophical inquiry can provide insights that are relevant to various disciplines. For instance, discussions about the nature of intellect can be relevant to physics, philosophy, and even literature.
8. Spiritual and religious understanding: For many, rational psychology and its emphasis on the immaterial mind provides a means to explore spiritual and religious questions, and to seek understanding or meaning in life.
9. Innovation and creativity: By challenging established concepts and encouraging abstract thinking, rational psychology can stimulate innovation and creativity, leading to new ideas and perspectives in both the arts and sciences.

While rational psychology may not have the empirical basis that characterizes the empirical sciences, it continues to be an essential component of intellectual inquiry, providing depth and breadth to our understanding of the world.

It’s not a proper profession. But if it were, what would it look like?

Let’s imagine rational psychology as a mash-up of rational thinking and modern psychology. If it were a profession, here’s what it might look like:

1. Critical Thinkers Meet Shrink: Professionals in rational psychology would be like the superheroes of critical thinking and psychology. They’d help people analyze their thoughts and behavior in a super logical way. Think Mr. Spock with a psychology degree.
2. No BS Zone: They’d cut through the emotional clutter and help folks see things as they really are. Emotions are cool and all, but sometimes they make us see things through some whacky lenses.
3. Decision-Making Ninjas: They’d be all about helping peeps make smarter decisions. They’d give you the tools to weigh the pros and cons, and not let emotions like fear or excitement make you do dumb stuff.
4. Bias Busters: Our brains love to take shortcuts, and sometimes this leads to biases. A rational psychologist would be like a personal bias detective, helping you spot when your brain is trying to trick you.
5. Emotional Intelligence Trainers: Even though they’d focus on rational thinking, they’d also be big on emotional intelligence. They’d help people understand their feelings, but in a super logical way, so emotions don’t go all Hulk-smash on their decision-making.
6. Problem-Solving Pros: Got a problem? These guys would help you break it down, analyze it, and come up with a game plan that’s based on reason and evidence, not just gut feelings.
7. Science-Backed Approaches: They’d probably be super into using research and data to back up what they’re saying, so it’s not just about thinking hard, but also about thinking smart.
8. Real-Life Applications: They might work in various fields like counseling, business consulting, or even life coaching, using their rational psychology superpowers to help individuals and organizations think and operate more effectively.

Very similar to cognitive behavior therapy, actually.

Googling “rational psychology near me” is not likely to lead you anywhere. However, I can become a writer and consultant in this field. One day you might just find me and my Yamaha Vmax near somewhere close.

(Q.C., 230609)