Psychology from the Standpoint of the Subject: Selected Writings of Klaus Holzkamp

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Klaus Holzkamp was the founder of German Critical Psychology working on the fundamental renewal of academic psychology. His ideas inspired generations of young scholars discontent with the socio-political function of psychology and the human sciences. Although his approach is discussed internationally, most of his work is not yet available in English. This selection of Holzkamp's writings provides an introduction to his Psychology from the Standpoint of the Subject.

In contrast to contemporary psychology's worldlessness, Holzkamp's psychological approach centers on 'human agency' as the individuals' practical influence over the conditions of their lives. Instead of seeking to optimize the individual's adjustment to prevailing conditions, the issue here is the justifiability of such an adjustment as well as the danger of reproducing the conditions of one's own powerlessness by adopting ruling self-evidences. 'Social self-understanding' on the societal reality of individual experience and action plays a key role both as the epistemic interest and method of research.