The Primacy of Critical Theory and the Relevance of the Psychological Humanities

Critical psychologies and cultural-historical approaches in psychology have common sources but have become separated in their historical trajectories. These divergent paths allow for mutual critiques and possible reconciliations. In this paper, differences and similarities are discussed, beginning with the role of critique, the society-individual nexus, the historicity of knowledge, and the ethical-political worldviews that engender these research programs. It is argued that critical theory, an umbrella term that encompasses both, requires theory development in order to do justice to the appearance of contemporary human mental life. This theory must be based on existing traditions as well as on intellectual innovations that have occurred in the humanities, the arts, and the concept-driven social sciences - in short, in the psychological humanities. Advancing and developing a critical theory of the psyche or theorizing that incorporates both programs as well as the psychological humanities cannot be confined to one particular methodology or a single framework, but should be diverse and pluralistic and move beyond methodologies and grand thinkers to psychosocial problems that people encounter in their daily lives.