Abraham H. Maslow
From Philosopedia
Maslow, Abraham H. (1 April 1908 – 8 June 1970)
Maslow is regarded as the founder of humanistic psychology.
In 1927 at City College of New York, when introduced to William Graham Summer’s Folkways, Maslow found that the book freed him from his “simple, unquestioning ethnocentrism” and changed the way he saw the world. As described by Richard J. Lowery in A. H. Maslow: An Intellectual Portrait, Maslow came to believe the following:
- Man has a higher nature and . . . this is part of his essence. . . . We need not take refuge in supernatural gods to explain our saints and sages and heroes and statesmen, as if to explain our disbelief that mere unaided human beings could be that good or wise.
Maslow, who taught at Brandeis University and New York University, was named Humanist of the Year by the American Humanist Association in 1967. With B. Mittelmann, he wrote Principles of Abnormal Psychology (1941). Also, he wrote Motivation and Personality (1954) and Religion, Values, and Peak Experiences (1964).
Maslow was a key influence in Betty Friedan’s turn toward secular humanism, she wrote as well as told friends.
Correspondence
Maslow corresponded with suggestions to the book review editor of The Humanist:
