Worldview and Anthropology as Determinants of Psychology

Abstract

This essay focuses on anthropology with a man excluded from time. In the absence of resources, modern thinkers turned inward in search of meaning. But meaning requires the passage of time—the only way to shape a meaningful anthropology that can support Psychology. Unconsciously, the underlying inherited anthropological networks carried assumptions from defective ancient worldviews that have not lost their relevance. This article offers an invitation to observe the power of worldviews in shaping anthropology and the role of presuppositions that condition the image of man. The perception of time held by a worldview is the key element in providing meaning to human understanding. The essay explores the ancient currents that influenced Western anthropology. In particular, it examines the presuppositions of Hebrew thought and those of the Greek philosophical tradition. Both are addressed here within their own temporal contexts. The fragmentations of the human image that marked Western anthropology also shaped Psychology. Despite historical reconsiderations, today we still pay the price for past dislocations.