“To Learn More” Student Essays
Personality Theories, Eighth Edition - Engler
Chapter 18: Conclusion
Philosophical Issues in Personality Theory
The concluding chapter of the textbook includes a comparison of personality theories in
terms of their stance regarding some fundamental philosophical issues. These basic
philosophical questions include the following:
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Are human beings essentially free to choose their own behavior, or is behavior
determined by factors outside of our conscious control?
To what extent do heredity and environment influence personality and behavior?
To what extent can the personalities of human beings be explained universal laws as
opposed to unique explanations for each individual?
Are people more oriented toward the past, present, or future (proactive vs. reactive
emphasis)?
To what extent are humans capable of change (optimism vs. pessimism)?
The disciplines of personality and philosophy are obviously distinct; they have each
developed their own vocabulary, research programs, and professional communities. They
are housed in entirely separate departments in universities. However, as illustrated by the
ability to "map" major personality theories onto fundamental philosophical questions, the
two fields are clearly related. Some might put forth the argument that a theory of
personality is, in fact, a type of philosophy. If a personality theory is not a fully developed
philosophy in and of itself, it may be an important component of such a philosophy, or
perhaps an application of a philosophy to individual human behavior.
The link between personality theories and philosophies suggests that one may give rise to
the other. Perhaps, as we experience life and develop explanations of our experiences, we
are developing philosophies, which we then apply to people in the form of personality
theories. Or, perhaps as we experience life and develop explanations of our experiences, we
are developing personality theories, which we then build upon to form philosophies. In
either case, it seems entirely plausible that our philosophies and our theories of personality
interact as we try to make sense of the people and the world we encounter.
Cultural variables unquestionably influence this process of forming personality theories or
philosophies to explain that with which we interact. Culture can center around a wide range
of variables, including ethnicity, race, gender, age, socioeconomic status, sexual
orientation, religion, and many others. These factors interact to affect the ways in which
our personality theories are formed. Scholars in the field of personality have often focused
upon the personal lives of prominent theorists in order to appreciate the cultures in which
they lived and speculate as to how such cultural variables might have shaped the theories
they created.
Andrew M. Pomerantz, Ph. D.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
“To Learn More” Student Essays
Personality Theories, Eighth Edition - Engler
Critical Thinking Questions:
1. How are the disciplines of philosophy and personality theory related? How are they
distinct?
2. How does culture influence the development and acceptance of personality
theories?
3. Which of the fundamental philosophical issues (as listed above) is most clearly
divisive regarding the personality theories covered in the textbook?
Web Links:
http://www.nd.edu/~rbarger/aera.html
An empirical study by researchers at the University of Notre Dame and Indiana University
entitled "Do Philosophical Tendencies Correlate with Personality Types?"
http://www.philosophypages.com/
A comprehensive philosophy website, including links to major philosophers and a
dictionary of philosophical terms.
http://www.ship.edu/%7Ecgboeree/sevenpersp.html
The "seven perspectives" of C. George Boeree, a leading personality researcher and
theorist. Integrates philosophical and personality-related issues.