The critical study of the underlying philosophical assumptions, cultural biases, and historical contexts of psychology as a discipline. It goes beyond clinical theories to ask: What is the model of a "mind" or "self" that psychology presupposes? How do its diagnostic categories (like depression or schizophrenia) reflect societal values rather than natural kinds? It examines psychology not as a neutral science of the brain, but as a historically situated practice that shapes and is shaped by the very phenomena it seeks to explain.
Example: Analyzing how the DSM's definition of "mental disorder" has expanded to pathologize normal grief or shyness for the benefit of pharmaceutical markets is an act of Metapsychology. It critiques the economic and social forces constructing our official catalog of suffering.
by Dumu The Void February 4, 2026
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