A history of South African (SA) Psychology
Historia de la psicología sudafricana
Envio 12/12/2013 | Revisión 26/07/2014 | Aceptación 03/08/2014
Nicholas, lioNel J. *
Psychology Graduate Assistant School of Health Sciences
Monash South Africa. South Africa
abstract
This historical account of SA psychology spans over hundred years of its
engagement with international psychology and the influence of racism on
its development. It traces Jan C. Smuts’s correspondence with Adler, Koffka
and Perls and Allport’s extensive contact with SA psychologists. The positive
impact of the academic boycott in turning psychology towards the concerns
of the oppressed is delineated, as well as the response of professional or-
ganizations to apartheid. The extensive reciprocal visits of US and Dutch
phenomenologists are described and the contributions of Wolpe, Rachman
and Lazarus to behavior therapy are noted.
Keywords
History of Psychology; South Africa
resumeN
Este recuento histórico de la psicología en SA se extiende por más de cien
años, desde su alianza con la psicología internacional y la influencia del
racismo en su desarrollo. Se traza la correspondencia de Jan C. Smuts con
Adler, Koffka y Perls y el amplio contacto de Allport con psicólogos SA. El
doi:10.11144/Javeriana.upsy13-5.hsap
impacto positivo del sabotaje académico en la transformación de la psico-
logía hacia las preocupaciones de los oprimidos está delineado, así como la
Para citar este artículo: Lionel, N. (2014). A his-
respuesta de las organizaciones profesionales al apartheid. Se describen las
tory of South African (SA) psychology. Universi-
tas Psychologica, 13(5), 1983-1991. http://dx.doi. extensas visitas recíprocas de los fenomenólogos de Estados Unidos y los
org/10.11144/Javeriana.upsy13-5.hsap Países Bajos y se señalan las contribuciones de Wolpe, Rachman y Lázaro a
la terapia de comportamiento.
Palabras claves
*
historia de la psicología; Sudáfrica
Univ. Psychol. Bogotá, colomBia V. 13 No. 4 PP. 1983-1991 oct-dic 2014 ISSN 1657-9267 1983
, N icholas , l ioNel J.
Introduction Collections). They eventually met in Berlin and had
an extended conversation (Blanckenberg, 1951).
The most defining characteristic of the history of Smuts refused repeated requests for a new edition
South African (SA) psychology is related to the of Holism and evolution believing that the scientific
extent to which SA psychologists engaged with basis of the book had weaknesses. Smuts believed
major international psychologists during the early that he could make a particular contribution to the
development of psychology. Its second defining theory of personality but felt that psychology was
characteristic is related to the extent to which pol- too analytical and therefore proposed that a new
itics and race were intertwined with SA psychology discipline ‘personology’ should be established with
(Cooper & Nicholas, 2012; Nicholas, 2013). the aim of examining personality and its phases, as
well as development in a holistic manner. Personol-
Jan Christiaan Smuts ogy would therefore study personality:
Jan Christiaan Smuts (1870-1950) Prime Minister (…) in its unique wholeness and unity, rather than,
of SA (1919-1924; 1939-1948) was the first South in the way of psychology, as a series of separate ab-
African to be regarded as an important psychologist stracted activities. Personology would study the Per-
internationally (Annin, Borig, & Watson, 1968). sonality not as an abstraction or bundle of psycholog-
Smuts was a lawyer, but during his undergraduate ical abstractions, but rather as vital organism, as the
studies at Oxford University he produced a man- organic psychic whole which par excellence it is; and
uscript in 1895, analyzing the personality of Walt such a study should lead to the formulation of the
Whitman, the famous American poet (Blanck- laws of the growth of this unique whole, which would
enberg, 1951). The manuscript was considered not only be of profound theoretical importance,
commercially unviable and was only published in but also of the greatest practical value. One can-
1973 (Smuts, 1973). Smuts’s next manuscript was not read the lives of the great personalities without
completed in 1910, ‘An inquiry into the whole’, feeling that a vast field for first-class scientific and
revised in 1924 and published in 1926 as Holism philosophic research remains still unexplored, and
and evolution (Smuts, 1926). Smuts coined the term that discoveries of the highest importance await the
‘holism’ and his book caught the eye of Alfred Adler student of Personology. (Smuts, 1926, pp. 290-291)
who requested Smuts’s permission to have the book
translated into German and published in Germany. Smuts (1926) regarded psychology as too im-
In his letter (31 January 1931) Adler stated that personal to study great personalities and believed
he recommended Holism and evolution to all his that the artistic, ethical and spiritual values, which
students and followers as the best preparation for they embody, related to the holistic tendency of the
the Science of Individual Psychology (University of personality, best studied via personology. Smuts
Cape Town (UCT) Libraries, Special Collections). did however not explore the idea of personology
Smuts gave permission for the translation and further because he was more concerned with laying
publication of Holism and evolution and it was the foundation for the holistic concept, but he did
eventually published in 1938 and translated by not return to either topic (Blanckenberg, 1951).
H. Minkowski (Blanckenberg, 1951). The books Smuts also tried to include the term ‘personality’
were destroyed during World War II after the Na- in the preamble of the United Nations Organiza-
zi government removed it from circulation (van tion (UNO) Charter. Smuts contributed to the
der Poel, 1973). Smuts and Adler continued their Charter, writing the original preamble, which was
correspondence and he invited Smuts to be one of subsequently changed. This was however changed
the three judges of the best book on the history of to ‘person’ in the final version of the preamble of
wholeness with reference to Individual Psychology the Charter (Dubow, 2008). Ironically a special
in a letter of June 14 1931 (UCT Libraries, Special commission of the UNO found that the policies
1984 U n i v e r s i ta s P s yc h o l o g i c a V. 13 No. 5 edición esPecial 2014
Historia de la psicología sudafricana
Envio 12/12/2013 | Revisión 26/07/2014 | Aceptación 03/08/2014
Nicholas, lioNel J. *
Psychology Graduate Assistant School of Health Sciences
Monash South Africa. South Africa
abstract
This historical account of SA psychology spans over hundred years of its
engagement with international psychology and the influence of racism on
its development. It traces Jan C. Smuts’s correspondence with Adler, Koffka
and Perls and Allport’s extensive contact with SA psychologists. The positive
impact of the academic boycott in turning psychology towards the concerns
of the oppressed is delineated, as well as the response of professional or-
ganizations to apartheid. The extensive reciprocal visits of US and Dutch
phenomenologists are described and the contributions of Wolpe, Rachman
and Lazarus to behavior therapy are noted.
Keywords
History of Psychology; South Africa
resumeN
Este recuento histórico de la psicología en SA se extiende por más de cien
años, desde su alianza con la psicología internacional y la influencia del
racismo en su desarrollo. Se traza la correspondencia de Jan C. Smuts con
Adler, Koffka y Perls y el amplio contacto de Allport con psicólogos SA. El
doi:10.11144/Javeriana.upsy13-5.hsap
impacto positivo del sabotaje académico en la transformación de la psico-
logía hacia las preocupaciones de los oprimidos está delineado, así como la
Para citar este artículo: Lionel, N. (2014). A his-
respuesta de las organizaciones profesionales al apartheid. Se describen las
tory of South African (SA) psychology. Universi-
tas Psychologica, 13(5), 1983-1991. http://dx.doi. extensas visitas recíprocas de los fenomenólogos de Estados Unidos y los
org/10.11144/Javeriana.upsy13-5.hsap Países Bajos y se señalan las contribuciones de Wolpe, Rachman y Lázaro a
la terapia de comportamiento.
Palabras claves
*
historia de la psicología; Sudáfrica
Univ. Psychol. Bogotá, colomBia V. 13 No. 4 PP. 1983-1991 oct-dic 2014 ISSN 1657-9267 1983
, N icholas , l ioNel J.
Introduction Collections). They eventually met in Berlin and had
an extended conversation (Blanckenberg, 1951).
The most defining characteristic of the history of Smuts refused repeated requests for a new edition
South African (SA) psychology is related to the of Holism and evolution believing that the scientific
extent to which SA psychologists engaged with basis of the book had weaknesses. Smuts believed
major international psychologists during the early that he could make a particular contribution to the
development of psychology. Its second defining theory of personality but felt that psychology was
characteristic is related to the extent to which pol- too analytical and therefore proposed that a new
itics and race were intertwined with SA psychology discipline ‘personology’ should be established with
(Cooper & Nicholas, 2012; Nicholas, 2013). the aim of examining personality and its phases, as
well as development in a holistic manner. Personol-
Jan Christiaan Smuts ogy would therefore study personality:
Jan Christiaan Smuts (1870-1950) Prime Minister (…) in its unique wholeness and unity, rather than,
of SA (1919-1924; 1939-1948) was the first South in the way of psychology, as a series of separate ab-
African to be regarded as an important psychologist stracted activities. Personology would study the Per-
internationally (Annin, Borig, & Watson, 1968). sonality not as an abstraction or bundle of psycholog-
Smuts was a lawyer, but during his undergraduate ical abstractions, but rather as vital organism, as the
studies at Oxford University he produced a man- organic psychic whole which par excellence it is; and
uscript in 1895, analyzing the personality of Walt such a study should lead to the formulation of the
Whitman, the famous American poet (Blanck- laws of the growth of this unique whole, which would
enberg, 1951). The manuscript was considered not only be of profound theoretical importance,
commercially unviable and was only published in but also of the greatest practical value. One can-
1973 (Smuts, 1973). Smuts’s next manuscript was not read the lives of the great personalities without
completed in 1910, ‘An inquiry into the whole’, feeling that a vast field for first-class scientific and
revised in 1924 and published in 1926 as Holism philosophic research remains still unexplored, and
and evolution (Smuts, 1926). Smuts coined the term that discoveries of the highest importance await the
‘holism’ and his book caught the eye of Alfred Adler student of Personology. (Smuts, 1926, pp. 290-291)
who requested Smuts’s permission to have the book
translated into German and published in Germany. Smuts (1926) regarded psychology as too im-
In his letter (31 January 1931) Adler stated that personal to study great personalities and believed
he recommended Holism and evolution to all his that the artistic, ethical and spiritual values, which
students and followers as the best preparation for they embody, related to the holistic tendency of the
the Science of Individual Psychology (University of personality, best studied via personology. Smuts
Cape Town (UCT) Libraries, Special Collections). did however not explore the idea of personology
Smuts gave permission for the translation and further because he was more concerned with laying
publication of Holism and evolution and it was the foundation for the holistic concept, but he did
eventually published in 1938 and translated by not return to either topic (Blanckenberg, 1951).
H. Minkowski (Blanckenberg, 1951). The books Smuts also tried to include the term ‘personality’
were destroyed during World War II after the Na- in the preamble of the United Nations Organiza-
zi government removed it from circulation (van tion (UNO) Charter. Smuts contributed to the
der Poel, 1973). Smuts and Adler continued their Charter, writing the original preamble, which was
correspondence and he invited Smuts to be one of subsequently changed. This was however changed
the three judges of the best book on the history of to ‘person’ in the final version of the preamble of
wholeness with reference to Individual Psychology the Charter (Dubow, 2008). Ironically a special
in a letter of June 14 1931 (UCT Libraries, Special commission of the UNO found that the policies
1984 U n i v e r s i ta s P s yc h o l o g i c a V. 13 No. 5 edición esPecial 2014
