Lonergan's Cognitional Theory and Method in Psychology

Abstract

It is proposed that the thought of Bernard Lonergan has a great deal to contribute to the long-standing questions of what is the right method of inquiry in psychology; of how far, and in what sense, psychology should aspire to be a science; and of to what degree it should pursue the methods of such sciences as physics and chemistry. Lonergan shows that any attempt to eliminate `mentalism' from the explanation of human behavior is self-destructive, since this implies that the theory which purports to eliminate it can itself never be accepted for good reasons. To illustrate the point, B.F. Skinner's account of psychology as a science is summarized, and subjected to criticism in the light of Lonergan's principles. Finally, the moral is applied to some other conceptions of psychology.