After the Knowledge

chapter three: human sciences & mathematics

field theory saves tok

Kurt Lewin was a historic figure who created the notion of Genidentity and the cognitive dissonance theory. Although these discoveries were important to the creation of knowledge within psychology, his creation of field theory is arguably the most important discovery in regards to the nature vs nurture debate. During his academic career, Lewin has dipped his toes into many different disciplines, from his interests within medicine, biology, philosophy, and psychology. These different pockets of knowledge have had a drastic impact on his development of field theory. Due to his previous background within biology, he has drawn interest in the role of the scientific method and its proofs into his diagrams for psychology. This is most vividly seen in his transition from the Aristoltelian view in psychology to a move towards Galileo's approach. His ability to reference alternative fields of study such as mathematics within the human sciences not only demonstrate his expertise within these individual fields, but also demonstrate his proficiency in combining two varying ideological areas of knowledge together.   
    Before Kurt Lewin had incorporated mathematics within psychology, the field followed mostly a peripatetic view. It was widely accepted that psychology was a branch of science which investigated the soul and its properties, however it was not decided whether emotions such as anger and fear fall under the same category of intelligence. Due to the ambiguity present in defining the role of the mind on human behavior, Lewin decided to create his own theory. He theorized that behavior is a function of the “person” and their “environment”. By representing this through his equation, it was presented as B=F(P,E). Although his transition to a mathematical approach within psychology was mainly due to the credibility which came with the usage of scientific language, it was a stepping stone to the modern perspective around the nature vs nurture debate, where there is no one factor which forms a human, but rather a mix of their experiences and their biology.
Kurt’s equation was not the only mathematical presence within his field theory, but rather the usage of mathematical diagrams. These mathematical diagrams were made to represent a person's life and their goals through the usage of a field. As an individual travels down the field, they encounter many forces which propel or restrict them from reaching their goals. Through the usage of topography, Lewin was able to present these environmental events which occur during a person's journey while also being able to mimic physics models such as magnetic fields and forces. However, to understand the role of physics within this physiological model, it is critical to understand the relationship which mathematics also has on physics. It allows for the development of equations present within kinematics, allowing for the identification of fields and forces. By connecting 3 different scientific fields into one diagram, it allows for the creation of an accurate and effective model which can be used to predict an individual's behavior. 
These innovations made through multiple knowledge systems allow for progressions within psychology, leading to a new, but accurate theory on the role of biology and environment in behavior. However, reason plays a huge role in understanding the mathematical structure presented in this model. By being able to understand magnetic and gravitational fields, it allows for a deeper understanding of what this psychological model is attempting to mimic. Not only does it allow for the interpretation of the theory, but also allows for logical connections to be made between the role of mathematical models and equations within psychology.
 Psychologists have settled this debate regarding nature vs nurture only a couple of years ago, however, in the 1940's this mathematical model had accurately predicted the interconnectivity between the mind and body, shedding light on the effectiveness of merging two different areas of knowledge. By demonstrating the effectiveness of merging mathematics within human sciences, it exemplifies how different perspectives create accurate models and theories. However, it should be noted that this model is only a theory based upon the role of the person and the environment on behavior, and that there has not been any scientific evidence provided for this study to prove its validity. Rather, this is a theoretical framework which attempts to predict the factors which play a role in behavior. Furthermore, there was also no discussion of alternative factors which can play a role in behavior, and as such it fails to create a holistic view on the factors needed to change behavior. It can be seen that mathematics plays a large role in the development of accurate physiological models, however, it is not only psychology which is affected by mathematics, but human sciences as a whole. Kurts discovery of field theory is more than just an insight in the human mind. It is a model which depicts the creation and pathways of knowledge. It demonstrates the interconcectivirty present between the human and its environment. IT has saved the holistic view of what is TOK.