Manfred Velden Reihenfolge der Bücher

It is a matter of scientific debate to what extent intelligence is hereditary. However, in a relatively broad part of the public the opinion prevails that intelligence is to a large extent hereditary, which means that it can only be minimally improved through social intervention. The book presents the scientific methods for determining heritability in the individual. It is clear from these methods that there can be no general value for heritability of intelligence, and that a heritability value says practically nothing as to the extent to which intelligence can be altered. The volume traces the history of research on the heritability of intelligence. The discipline is manifestly plagued by dubious practices and has caused social damage on a large scale, for example in the context of eugenics, immigration or education policy.

The book “Psychosomatics” deals with the influence of psychiatric strain (stress, conflict, traumata) on bodily disorders. The different opinions on the effects of such influences are very diverse. Some ground their views on scientific opinions which seem rather speculative, irrational and esoteric. Aim of this book is to provide a scientific profound term of how the psyche can effect the body. The author tries to explain psychological processes that begin with bodily problems triggered by psychiatric strain and lead to dysfunctions. Such problems are hardly known, not even to people with psychosomatic disorders. The author’s target is to make a comprehensive description of such developments. Only this way a rational understanding of the development of such disorders is possible and can supplement scientific facts. Methods of psychological intervention in cases of psychosomatic disorders are only dealt with peripherally.

Biologism – the idea that the science of biology supplies the means to exhaustively explain psychological processes – has become vastly popular in recent decades. It can be shown that the idea is illusory on fundamental and a-priori grounds. Several fields of inquiry are described, where the biologistic project has demonstrably failed, like, for example, heritability estimates for mental traits (like intelligence). It is argued as well that biologism is just a further instance of an older, more comprehensive and equally illusory concept: psychology as a natural science (a science that produces generally accepted basic facts, for example the creation of a psychological risk factor for coronary disease). It is shown that psychology, masquerading as a natural science, as it largely does, may create serious societal problems like, for example, its misuse for racist purposes. The peculiar use of methodology in psychology is also documented.