Early history of Psychology 4. Hippocrates

Hippocrates, who lived approximately from 460 to 370 BCE, was a Greek physician of the Classical period and is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of medicine. He introduced the concept of physis and transformed medicine from a practice rooted in higher Attic or Theocratic traditions into a rational discipline.

Hippocrates is credited as the first to argue that diseases have natural causes rather than being the result of superstition or divine punishment. Unlike earlier beliefs that attributed illness to gods, Hippocrates and his followers, notably the disciples of Pythagoras, sought to separate medicine from religion. They proposed that disease arises from environmental factors, diet, and lifestyle rather than supernatural causes. Notably, the entire Hippocratic Corpus contains no mention of mystical illness.

Despite this rational approach, Hippocrates and his school worked with several convictions now considered scientifically inaccurate, such as humorism—the theory that health is governed by the balance of bodily fluids or humors. Nonetheless, Hippocrates is traditionally called the "father of medicine" for his lasting contributions, including the development of prognosis, clinical observation, systematic disease categorization, and humoral theory formulation.

The Hippocratic School revolutionized ancient Greek medicine by establishing it as an independent discipline, distinct from other fields traditionally associated with philosophy. This shift solidified medicine as a professional practice.

However, it is important to note that the achievements attributed to Hippocrates often conflate the work of the authors of the Hippocratic Corpus, practitioners of Hippocratic medicine, and Hippocrates himself. Therefore, precise knowledge about his individual thoughts, writings, and actions remains limited.

Hippocrates is often portrayed as the archetype of the ancient physician and is credited with formulating the Hippocratic Oath, which continues to hold ethical significance in modern medicine. He is also acknowledged for advancing the systematic study of clinical medicine by consolidating prior medical knowledge and prescribing clinical practices documented in the Hippocratic Corpus and related works.

Among their clinical discoveries, the Hippocratics established that injuries to one side of the head cause spasms on the opposite side of the body. They also produced treatises discussing the venous system supplying the brain and exhibited a near-modern respect for the brain’s role in perception, movement, and psychological functions.

The Hippocratic humoral theory extended to psychological dispositions, attributing certain temperaments as innate and hereditary. People were categorized as having phlegmatic, choleric, melancholic, or sanguine natures, based on family resemblance in temperament traits rather than empirical evidence.

The central tenet of Hippocratic philosophy was “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” Their care provision included three main categories: health promotion, trauma care interventions, and mental care with art therapy.

Health promotion emphasized physical activity as essential for both physical and mental well-being, as well as nutrition’s role in enhancing athletic performance, especially in the Olympic Games.

Hippocrates proposed the first classification of mental disorders, including mania, melancholy, frenitis (brain inflammation), insanity, disobedience, paranoia, panic, epilepsy, and hysteria. Several of these terms remain in use today. Mental illnesses were seen as natural conditions affecting humans and treated like other diseases.

He argued that the brain was the organ responsible for mental illnesses and that intelligence and sensitivity entered the brain through respiration via the mouth.

The study of personality traits and behaviors began at least 2,000 years ago with Hippocrates, who theorized that personality depended on four temperaments linked to bodily fluids: choleric (yellow bile from the liver), melancholic (black bile from the kidneys), sanguine (red blood from the heart), and phlegmatic (white phlegm from the lungs).

Diagnosis and treatment of mental and physical diseases relied on careful observation, causal consideration, balance theory, and the four humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.

Plato’s theory added a philosophical dimension, suggesting that healing the body and soul could be either true or false. True healing included medicine and gymnastics, while the legislative and judicial systems were considered forms of true healing of the soul.

Music and theater were believed to play essential roles in treating physical and mental illnesses and improving human behavior. Healing the soul through music was thought to benefit the body as well. Specific musical applications were prescribed for particular ailments—for example, the alternating sounds of flute and harp were used as treatment for gout.

Asclepius is credited as the first to apply music therapy to conquer passion. Aristotle noted that religious melodies capable of thrilling the soul could produce effects akin to medical treatment and mental catharsis.

Ancient tragedies functioned as psychotherapy, with the theater of Epidaurus serving as a place for catharsis—the emotional release through performance.

Quiet rooms were also designed for patients to sleep and dream of mental health, believed to aid in psychological recovery.

The Asclepius sanctuary offered comprehensive treatments including physical exercise, massage, and walking, considered essential to restore health, inner peace, and the well-being of the soul.

Dreams were used diagnostically and therapeutically.

Achieving effective therapy required understanding the concept of the soul and its distinction from the body, following Plato’s tripartite division of the soul.