Philosophical Links to TA: Kant and the Concept of Reason in the Adult Ego State

Abstract

Traditional TA theory describes the Adult ego state as being deliberate, calculating, and thoughtful, and emphasizes the notion of Reason. Other points of view consider the spontaneous, intimate, and aware aspects of the Integrated Adult, and emphasize the concept of freedom. These seemingly conflicting approaches may be reconciled by the moral philosophical principle of Immanuel Kant that Reason is a faculty which produces freedom from inclination, impulse, and emotional compulsion.