SOME PROBLEMS OF USING POST-CLASSICAL RATIONALITY IN PSYCHOLOGY

Abstract

Modern psychology is characterized by a great number of psychological schools, approaches and paradigms. The application of post-nonclassical rationality ideas is a way to integrate psychological knowledge. The essence of these ideas and principles is the construction of a dialogue between main psychological conceptions and paradigms, the creation of a broader view of various psychological phenomena, the integration of scientific psychology into a wider cultural context, etc. Despite the fact that post-nonclassical rationality principles possess significant methodological potential, the uncritical application of these principles can lead to certain mistakes, and we still lack thorough analysis of the possibility of such errors. It is clear that the application of post-nonclassical rationality principles is a considerable alternative to the domination of a certain ideology, which sometimes happens in humanities, including psychology. But at the same time the uncritical application of “methodological anarchism” ideas can lead to the development of pseudoscience. In author’s opinion, any attempts to use conceptions which are based on metaphysical universal systems have no gnoseological potential. But in the case when metaphysical conceptions are connected with a certain spiritual practice, a wide space for various investigations of psychic and psychophysiological changes as a result of such practice is opened. Besides, various metaphysical conceptions may be used as metaphors in practical psychology and psychotherapy. Keywords. post-nonclassical rationality, methodological anarchism, metaphysical conceptions in psychology.