Kurt Goldstein
Kurt Goldstein | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 6, 1878 Kattowitz, German Empire (now Katowice, Poland) |
| Died | September 19, 1965 (aged 86) New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Breslau, University of Heidelberg |
| Known for | Holistic theory of the organism, self-actualization, neuropsychology |
| Notable work |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neurology, Psychiatry, Psychology |
| Institutions | University of Frankfurt, Berlin-Moabit General Hospital, Harvard University, Tufts Medical School, Columbia University, Montefiore Hospital |
| Notable students | Fritz Perls |
Kurt Goldstein (November 6, 1878 – September 19, 1965) was a German neurologist and psychiatrist who created a holistic theory of the organism. Educated in medicine, Goldstein studied under Carl Wernicke and Ludwig Edinger where he focused on neurology and psychiatry. His clinical work helped inspire the establishment of The Institute for Research into the Consequences of Brain Injuries. Goldstein was forced to leave Germany when Adolf Hitler came to power because of his Jewish heritage. After being displaced, Goldstein wrote The Organism (1934). This focused on patients with psychological disorders, particularly cases of schizophrenia and war trauma, and the ability of their bodies to readjust to substantial losses in central control. His holistic approach to the human organism produced the principle of self actualization, defined as the driving force that maximizes and determines the path of an individual. Later, his principle influenced Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. He was the co-editor of Journal of Humanistic Psychology.