Respect for Thought Jan Smedslund’s Legacy for Psychology

This book explores and provides an overview of the Norwegian psychologist Jan Smedslund's life work on Psycho-logic. His contributions to science have been radical not only in challenging the empirical foundation of psychology, but also in seeking to develop a viable alternative. This book brings together various reflections on his key contributions from the 1960s to the present day.

The volume features three chapters by Jan Smedslund, offering his updated views on psychological science and psychotherapy. It also features contributions from several scholars that critically evaluates his legacy. His seminal ideas are discussed, revised and expanded upon and the questions raised are put in relevant historical and interdisciplinary context.

Respect for Thought is a valuable resource for psychological researchers, historians of psychology, cultural psychologists, critical psychologists, theoretical psychologists, clinical psychologists and psychotherapists, social scientists, philosophers of psychology, and philosophers of science. 

Tobias G. Lindstad is an independent researcher and a clinical psychologist in Norway. His research concerns the relevance of epistemology and metaphysics for advancing the scientific basis of psychology, psychotherapy research and mental health care services.

Erik Stänicke is Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Oslo, Norway. He has published papers and books on psychotherapy research, psychoanalysis, conceptual research and philosophy of science. He is a fellow researcher in An intensive process-outcome study of the interpersonal aspects of psychotherapy at UiO. He is a psychoanalyst and president of the Norwegian Psychoanalytic Society.

Jaan Valsiner is Professor of Cultural Psychology at Aalborg University, and University Professor at Sigmund-Freud-Privatuniverstät Wien-Berlin. In 2013-18 he was Niels Bohr Professor of Cultural Psychology at Aalborg University in Denmark, where he created Europe’s first research Centre on cultural psychology. He is the founding editor of the journal Culture & Psychology and chief editor of Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science. Among his many publications are the recent books General Human Psychology; Foundations for a Science and Sensuality in Human Living; The Cultural Psychology of Affect.