Maslow Abraham Harold (1908-1970), American psychologist, one of the founders of humanistic psychology.
He put forward the concept of a holistic approach to a person and analysis of his highest essential manifestations — love, creativity, spiritual values, etc. In contrast to the then dominant behaviorism and psychoanalysis, Maslow believed that the essence of a person is initially positive and directed towards constant development. In this case, the goal of psychology is to “help a person discover in himself what is already inherent in him”, to help his self-actualization. According to Maslow, these features, existing in the form of innate potentialities, are actualized under the influence of social conditions. Maslow created a hierarchical model of motivation (Maslow’s pyramid of needs), in accordance with which he argued that higher needs can direct human behavior only to the extent that his lower needs are satisfied.
His ideas served to create a humanistic psychology, the subject of which is a holistic person in his highest manifestations, such as self-actualization, higher values and meanings, freedom, responsibility, etc.
Performance evaluation
The contribution of A. Maslow to contemporary psychology is enormous. Psychologists should be grateful to him for reorienting attention from the study of neuroses to the study of health psychology, for constructive criticism of psychoanalysis, for his conviction in the need for growth and development. On the other hand, the idea of a «self-developing seed» has become a dogma for a huge number of psychologists for many decades. See →
Biography of A. Maslow
Abraham Harold Maslow was born on April 1, 1908. We should probably pronounce such a strange-sounding surname for an American in the usual manner — Maslov. This surname was borne by the father of the future psychologist, a native of the southern provinces of the Russian Empire, who, like tens of thousands of his Jewish compatriots, shocked by the ruthless pogroms of the beginning of the century, moved to the New World. There he opened a workshop for the manufacture of barrels, «got on his feet» and discharged his bride from his homeland. So their firstborn, who in other circumstances could be our compatriot and be called Abram Grigorievich Maslov, was already born in Brooklyn, not the most respectable area of New York. See →
Publications
- «Far reaches of the human psyche»
- «Motivation and Personality»
- «Psychology of Being»
- «Self-Actualized People: A Study in Psychological Health»
- «New cues of human nature»