Accomplished Quote by Lloyd deMause
“Psychohistory, like psychoanalysis, is a science in which the researcher's feelings are as much or even more a part of his research equipment than his eyes or his hands. Weighing of complex motives can only be accomplished by identification with human actors, the usual suppression of all feeling preached and followed by most "science" simply cripples a psychohistorian as badly as it would cripple a biologist to be forbidden the use of a microscope. The emotional development of a psychohistorian is therefore as much a topic for discussion as his or her intellectual development.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Rise of Psychohistory, 1995
Psychohistory blends emotional insight with scientific method, arguing feelings are essential research tools.
In simple terms: Feelings are key to studying history.
Integrate empathy into analysis.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- historical research
- policy analysis
- social forecasting
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Can empathy bias conclusions?
- How to validate emotional data?
Balancing emotion with objectivity is hard.