Together with Harrington, Kampen will continue her research on Mary Whiton Calkins (1863–1930). Calkins was the first female president of both the American Psychological Association and the American Philosophical Association. She played a crucial role in the development of modern psychology, but little is known of her today. Kampen's doctoral research, which received funding last year through the PhDs in the Humanities program from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), will be the first in-depth study of both Calkins' philosophical and psychological contributions.
Calkins argues that 'the self' is central to both psychology and philosophy. She criticizes scientists who strive for objective results by ignoring the self in their empirical findings. According to Calkins, the ultimate task of psychology is to describe the self in its environment. In her psychological approach, Calkins combines influences from the School of Brentano with American pragmatism. Her theological-philosophical system engages with German idealism. This interesting combination of influences not only sheds light on the exchange of ideas between the United States and Europe in the period leading up to the First and Second World War, but also raises questions about the development of psychology as a scientific discipline. For example, has psychology ever truly succeeded in breaking away from philosophy? These questions remain relevant for both disciplines today.
It is fantastic that I can realize my research stay at Harvard thanks to the contributions from het Cultuurfonds and Nijmeegs Fonds voor Feminisme en Religie. This opportunity will not only grant me access to important archival materials but also enable me to engage with ongoing research at Harvard. I will be joining the Department of the History of Science, the department of one of my three supervisors, Professor Anne Harrington.
