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The Meaning of “Inhibition” and the Discourse of Order

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Roger Smith
Roger Smith
Affiliation:
Department of HistoryUniversity of Lancaster
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Abstract

The history of psychology, like other human science subjects, should attend to the meaning of words understood as relationships of reference and value within discourse. It should seek to identify and defend a history centered on representations of knowledge. The history of the word “inhibition” in nineteenth-century Europe illustrates the potential of such an approach. This word was significant in mediating between physiological and psychological knowledge and between technical and everyday understanding. Further, this word indicated the presence of a common discourse structuring ways of thought about order, whether in technology, moral activity, or experimental psycho-physiology. Writing history as the history of discourse suggests several difficulties; these are considered briefly. Nevertheless attention to language and meaning makes it possible to integrate the history of psychology with intellectual history and thereby to broaden its potential audience.

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Article
Information
Science in Context , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , Autumn 1992 , pp. 237 - 263
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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