Foundation of Psychology
Chapter 1
The wider picture, where did it all start?

Introduction

This book describes the growth of psychology as an independent branch of learning and tries to comprehend the essence of the discipline.

The invention of writing

The introduction of written records represents one of the most important moments in the development of science.

The preliterate culture

Preliterate civilisation: civilisation before writing was invented.
Though these civilisations have not left us with written testimonies, it is possible to discern several important features of them by studying existing cultures that do not use writing.
This research revealed three important characteristics of knowledge in these kinds of cultures:

• Although cultures without literacy know how to make tools, start fires, obtain shelter, hunt, fish, and gather fruit and vegetables, their skills are not based on an understanding of how things work, but rather on practical rules of thumb of what do do when.
  • There knowledge is confided to ‘know-how’ without theoretical understanding of the underlying principles
• The fluidity of knowledge
  Knowledge of the actual history of the tribe is limited to two generations and the function of the oral tradition is mainly the transmission of practical skills
• The existence