Dialogue between edith Stein and William Stern: Person as the foundation of Psychology

Abstract

The present research was realized in accordance with the history of psychology field. Its object was the conceptual and historical study of the concept of Person in some works of two German intellectuals from the beginning of the 20th century: Edith Stein (1891-1942) and William Stern (1871-1938). Between the two authors there are similarities in respect to the topics they've studied and also a precise historical relationship highlighted in their biographies: Stern taught psychology in Breslau and Stein attended his classes as a student in 1911-1912. Nevertheless, researches that take up the theoretical relationship between the two are scarce. In this sense, the objective of the article was to return to the path through which both proposed their analysis regarding the constitution of the psychic object, as well as the implications of these definitions for psychology. The German, Spanish and English editions of the works of Edith Stein and William Stern were used as primary sources. The main point of encounter between both is the proposal of foundation of the psychology from the concept of Person. If the definitions diverge, however, the starting point is shared: concerns about the reduction of soul science to the mechanics of the natural sciences. Edith Stein and William Stern warn us of a timeless truth about this science: there is no way to separate it from philosophy without reducing it, on one hand, to scientific naturalism (currently represented by neurosciences), and, on the other hand, to the human sciences (now oriented by relativist, post-structuralist movements). Only a rigorous philosophical elaboration of the concept of Person can integrate nature and culture without reducing one to the other and, therefore, provide to Psychology a valid foundation and autonomy in the dialogue with the other natural or cultural sciences.