Skip to main content
Log in

Putting “Positive” and “Psychology” In Perspective: The Role of Indian Psychology

  • Commentary
  • Published:
Psychological Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Rao (this issue) offers a trenchant critique of the field of positive psychology. He clearly shows the way positive psychology, as it has been thus far considered, is clearly a product of a Westernized psychology. He goes further though and proposes that some of the limitations of positive psychology might be addressed by considering the insights of Indian indigenous psychology. In this commentary I suggest that these limitations of positive psychology can be fruitfully framed by considering the nature of the self and the nature of the positive or good that any understanding of positive psychology must presuppose.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adler, A. (1956). The individual psychology of Alfred Adler. New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnett, J. J. (2008). The neglected 95%: Why American psychology needs to become less American. American Psychologist, 63, 602–614.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Christopher, J. C., & Hickinbottom, S. (2008). Positive psychology, ethnocentrism, and the disguised ideology of individualism. Theory & Psychology, 18, 563–589.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christopher, J. C., & Howe, K. (2014). Future directions for a more multiculturally competent (and humble) positive psychology. In J. Teramoto-Pedrotti & L. M. Edwards (Eds.), Perspectives on the Intersection of Multiculturalism & Positive Psychology (pp. 253–266). New York: Springer.

  • Henrich, J., Heine, S. J., & Norenzayan, A. (2010). The weirdest people in the world? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 33, 61–83.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maslow, A. H. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York: Harpers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55(1), 5–14. doi:10.1037//0003-066x.55.1.5.

  • Taylor, C. (2007). A secular age.. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to John Chambers Christopher.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Christopher, J.C. Putting “Positive” and “Psychology” In Perspective: The Role of Indian Psychology. Psychol Stud 59, 110–112 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-014-0256-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-014-0256-8

Keywords

Navigation