Professor William Stern through the eyes of Dr. Iwona Koczanowicz-Dehnel - chapter from the monograph "Wrocław Psychology. People and Ideas".
We are pleased to announce the publication of the monograph "Wrocław Psychology. People and ideas", published in 2024 by Rys Publishing House. The scientific editors were Jolanta Kowal, PhD, Prof. UWr, and Kiriakos Chatzipentidis, showing the rich history of psychology in Wrocław and paying tribute to the outstanding scholars who created it.
One of the more interesting chapters in this publication is the text by Dr Iwona Koczanowicz-Dehnel, who works with the School of Vocational Training, entitled "William Stern - from differential psychology to critical personalism". The author introduces Professor William Stern - a prominent German psychologist and philosopher - as a one of the key founders of modern psychology. His 19 years of research work at the University of Wrocław had an enormous impact on the development of psychological science in Europe, and his legacy remains relevant today.
Academic career and foundations of differential psychology
Professor William Stern (1871-1938) was one of the first scientists to be appointed Professor of Philosophy, Psychology and Pedagogy at the University of Wrocław in 1907. Reformed the approach to academic psychology, moving away from reductionist approaches to a more holistic and humanistic view of the human being.
The focus of his research was differential psychology - a current focusing on the analysis of individual human characteristics and abilities. Professor Stern advocated the development of applied psychology, which he divided into two distinct branches:
- Psychognostics - concerned with exploring the psychic diversity of individuals.
- Psychotechnics - using this knowledge for practical action, such as in education or career guidance.
Through his research on intelligence, Professor Stern developed the the intelligence quotient (IQ) formula, which is still used in diagnostic psychology today. He was also a forerunner of the psychographic method, or individual case analysis, which brought psychology closer to clinical and pedagogical practice.
Critical personalism - philosophy of the person
In parallel with his research work, Professor Stern was developing an innovative philosophical programme - the critical personalism. In his view, a person is a person - a coherent, complex whole that cannot be reduced to individual mental functions. He opposed fragmentary approaches and reductionist errors (e.g. mereological error), seeking a theory that integrates human knowledge.
Critical personalism provided the theoretical framework for his conception of personality and represented an attempt to bring together the various strands of human science - from biology to psychology to philosophy. Professor Stern was convinced that only such a holistic approach could understand the complexity of human nature.
A legacy that endures
The chapter by Dr Iwona Koczanowicz-Dehnel is an insightful and erudite analysis of the work of Professor William Stern - scientist whose ideas had an enormous impact on the international development of psychology. His work in Wrocław contributed not only to establishing the city's position as an important scientific centre, but also to shaping contemporary standards of research into personality, intelligence and upbringing.
We encourage you to reach out to this chapterto better understand how Professor Stern's scientific ideas continue to influence thinking about the human being - whether in psychology, pedagogy or philosophy.