Homo Psychicus as Human and on Becoming a Person

This book is about unifying, in one and the same theory, the human being, Homo psychicus, both as an affective/internal presentation being and an operative, cognitive being. In this way, we see two human abilities on the one hand, Silvan Tomkins comprehensive theories of our innate biological affects and, on the other hand, Jean Piagets theories of Homo psychicus as an operative, cognitive being in one theory. According to Piaget the basis for operations is to be found in our innate reflexes. Overarching perspectives of this derivation are found in development: evolutionary, phylogenetic, ontogenetic and epigenetic. The authors empirical research is directed towards development of a percept-genetic method called the Percept-genetic Object-Relation Test (PORT). This method is employed in the description and illustration of how Homo psychicus may become a person. Thus, this subject is discussed from an epigenetic and a clinical perspective.