Reclaiming Instinct: Exploring the Phylogenetic Unfolding of Animate Being

This article explores the historical circumstances that led to the rejection of the concept of human instinct. It then turns a critical eye to a number of presuppositions that continue to equate instinct with preprogrammed genetic mechanisms. An expanded and holistic understanding of instinctual life that includes the subjective reality of the organism is then explored. It is suggested that such an expanded account may be a valuable and necessary theoretical tool for broadening our understanding of human psychology as intimately connected to its evolutionary past.
Source: Journal of Humanistic Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Articles Source Type: research