The Basic Principles of Alfred Adler’s Individual Psychology

Abstract

Humanistic Psychology, also known as the third force in psychology, has risen to prominence during the mid-20th century.It is a psychological perspective, which came as a response to the limitations of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory and B. F. Skinner's behaviorism.Therefore, Humanistic psychologists, namely Maslow, Alfred Adler, and Carl Rogers, tend to dismantle the cognitive psychoanalysis regards of the human self, so rather than viewing it as a fixed entity, they opt for a more humanistic and enlightened perception of this human self, conceiving of it as an internal and spiritual experience through which humans often proceed on a constant process of personal development till achieving a state of self-actualization and transcendence within a social context.Humanistic psychology is also labeled as positive psychology for the fact that it underlines the personal worth of individuals and the creative and active nature of human beings.As stated by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, the most prominent Humanistic psychologists, humans are inherently good, so human nature is essentially benevolent and positive.This paper is an attempt to review the basic principles of Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology whose premise is to emphasize the conscious awareness of needs, choices, and personal responsibility of the individual instead of focusing merely on the unconscious.Accordingly, humans' meaning of life is usually the choices they make and responsibilities they take.

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