On being human

On Being Human (1975) is one of the major integrative books of Humanistic Psychology. Earlier, in the 1960s, books on this new school of psychology, tended to feature lists of concepts, rather than a well synthesized theory. This book, with Charles Hampden-Turner's Radical Man, illustrates how the field quickly matured in the 1970s. In part it may be understood as a philosophy of (humanistic) psychology. The introduction distinguishes the terms "human," "humane," (which can be applied to Behavioristic psychology,) and "humanistic," the latter of which "must imply and focus upon a ... concept of man ... that recognizes his status as a person, irreducible to more elementary levels, and his unique worth as a person potentially capable of autonomous judgment and action." Major parts, (3-4 chapters each,) are: "Homo Symbolicus," "Culture Maker," "Toward Delight: Play, Love and Beauty," "Freedom, Responsibility," and "Man Transcending." In chapter 8 we find a brief but delightful history of love in psychology, entitled "Acquiring Academic Respectability." Part of the significance of this book lies in the fact that introductory textbooks in psychology (and educational psychology, etc.) have long missed the broader scope, meaning and substance of humanistic psychology, as effectively illustrated here.