Assumptions About Human Nature, Mind-body, Free-will, Transcendence, and Implications of Philosophical Concepts on Professional Issues

A questionnaire-based study with 800 students from psychology, philosophy, theology, humanities, and science

Jochen Fahrenberg (Germany)

Abstract: Assumptions about human nature engage the domain of philosophy as a long established matter of discourse. In contrast, comparatively little is known about such assumptions from the view point of differential psychology. A 64-item questionnaire was developed, comprising items and rating scales, as well as a number of trilemmata including topics such as brain and consciousness (mind-body), free will, assumptions on evolution or creation of mankind, concepts of god, theodicy, meaning of life. Data were gathered from students at seven German (West and East) universities. The majority of participants (n = 563) were psychology students, and 233 (primarily at the University of Freiburg) were students of philosophy, theology, humanities, and science.

Assumptions about human nature were explored and were evaluated according to concepts of monism-dualism-complementary, atheism-agnosticism-deism-theism, attitude toward transcendence-immanence, and the self-ratings of religiosity and interest in meaning of life. Findings depict a manifold of belief-systems, however, there was little difference among psychology students in gender, first or second year. Quasi-representative findings on the distribution of such assumptions about human nature as viewed by first year psychology students were obtained by a weighting procedure. The method of statistical twins indicated only a few differences between students from psychology, philosophy, and natural science.

Findings from a previous investigation (Fahrenberg, 1999; Fahrenberg & Cheetham, 2000) were confirmed: The majority of participants were convinced that philosophical preconceptions on mind-body and free will could have important practical implications for the way in which psychotherapists, doctors or judges exercise their profession.

Key words: (Philosophical Concepts) of Human Nature, Philosophical and Psychological Anthropology, Brain and Consciousness (Mind-Body), Free Will, Meaning of Life, Belief-Systems and Attitudes, Psychology Students.

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