David CAPES

What kind of post-scientist Psychology can allow integrating varieties of philosophical and spiritual
heritage ? : the case of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy [ACT].

Work in progress

2015 / 02 / 01

In the history of academic and professional fields the institutionalisation of human sciences have broken
what C.S.Peirce called the modus vivendibetween philosophy, science, and religion (quoted in
ODonnell 1985, 119). Peirce argued that there is no reason for supposing a power of introspection; and
consequently, the only way of investigating a psychological question is by inference from external facts
(1868, reprinted 1958, p 33). Nowadays, this exclusive materialistic approach appears to be more
ideological than inspired by values of research. If they want to deal with our post-modern multicultural
and multiconfessional globalized societies, social scientists need to take into account various
philosophical and spiritual heritage and practices (even if we are free to reject them). In the contexts of
psychological help, when a professional interacts with his or her client, both are collaborating and coconceiving what a human situation is, and/or should be, and/or might be... So practitioners need
theoretical-practical frameworks that helps them to deal with the varieties of human conceptions. After
Dewey (1938), I define here conception as a theoretical and/or practical, explicit and/or implicit,
apparatus (Agamben, 2009). of concepts and methods, that can be common or scientific, religious,
mystical, atheist or naturalist
In the history of Psychology, Behaviorism has been built against domination by the concept of
consciousness with its philosophical and spiritual background. The word spiritual is used here for
non-materialistic and can have various kind of meanings and connotations as can religious or
mystical. After secularism in the early times of Psychology, today in practice, when patients deal with
human suffering, they use any kind of conceptions that are helpful for them - even if theses conceptions
are judged irrelevant for the Psychologist. Moreover, recently, evidence-based studies have shown the
neuro-efficiency of spiritual practices, and even materialist psychologists are encouraged to accept the
value of philosophical and spiritual heritage. Then a question arises : what kind of post-scientist
David CAPES ~ What kind of post-scientist Psychology can allow integrating varieties of philosophical and spiritual heritage
? : the case of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy [ACT].

Psychology can allow integrating varieties of philosophical and spiritual heritage ? I propose to examine
in my dissertation how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy [ACT] - a contemporary body of theories
and exercises - can assume this possibility of integration, not systematically imposes or requires an
integrated Psychology.
In the limits of 15.000 words, I will try to define how ACT can ensure allowing integration of
philosophical and spiritual heritage, through evaluating its relations with two very different lineages: the
agnostic humanist Pragmatism (particularly deweyan) and the saint John Cross tradition. These will help
to precise if ACT can be considered as a conceptual apparatus that foster coexistence of two series of
components promoting experiential therapy : science, philosophy and spirituality, and theories and
practices.

1. Why choosing ACT as case study ?

In a dissertation for a Master of philosophy, it is relevant to choose ACT as case study because, ACT
gives philosophical thought a key role and, it recourses explicitly to philosophical and spiritual
conceptions. ACT is a post-behaviourist psychological theory and practice which Steven C. Hayes is
the key author that clearly considers the need for philosophy (Hayes, 1999). Philosophy is needed in
order to clear the assumptions underlying epistemic and methodological propositions of a scientific
approach. In addition to giving value to philosophy of science, the ACT method also refers to or continues
philosophical works, particularly conceptions of humans as free and creative individuals that can invent
ways of dealing with suffering or dissatisfaction. This conception allows to integrate important spiritual
and aesthetical insights, particularly those expressed in John Deweys texts.
The dissertation will refer to key books mostly co-authored by Steven C. Hayes and will focus on two
aspects of the ACT proposition:
-

ACT is a proposition relying on a new model of human cognition (Hayes, 2005, p6) , that is in
continuation with the behaviourist and pragmatist traditions,

ACT is proposing to its readers, practitioners and clients exercises of mindfulness and of a
creative free will determination that uses (potentially unconsciously) theories, thoughts and
exercises part of the (more or less living) heritage of philosophical and spiritual movements.

2. What does mean allowing integrating varieties of philosophical and spiritual heritage ?
David CAPES ~ What kind of post-scientist Psychology can allow integrating varieties of philosophical and spiritual heritage
? : the case of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy [ACT].

In the limit of the dissertation we will not deepen all the philosophical and spiritual sources that can be
related to the ACT approach (and its theoretical backgrounds and technical tools for self-help or therapy
practice). ACT can be presented as re-inventing various yesterdays solutions for todays needs. We can
mention sources as : Hebrew Koheleth's teachings, Greek Stoicism and their continuations and
Renaissance (cf Montaigne), Christian, Muslim and Bahai religious-mystical conceptions and methods,
particularly when they focus on spiritual Detachment, and of course all the Hinduist, Yogi and Buddhist
traditions of thinking and practicing how to deal with human condition and suffering (mindfulness comes
explicitly from them). We find in ACT books various mentions of unavoidable references to religious or
spiritual traditions as Zen Buddhism (Hayes, 1999, 201) and also a reference to Assagiolis spiritual-based
psychoanalysis (idem, 289).
But another way to understand it is to deepen the history of ACT , particularly focusing on the role of the
philosopher John Dewey, especially because he helps to understand how we can take benefits of the idea
of a Common Faith that can integrate spiritual experiencing (see particularly : Rockfeller, 1991) and/or
his more naturalist Faith in Life (see Morse, 2011). This perspective makes sense in the context of ACT
as theory and practice continuing the history of Behaviorism the question of the need for integration of
human consciousness has been difficult to deal with (Donnel, 1985).
Then, in order to deal more specifically with the spiritual aspect of the question, the dissertation will test
how ACT can allow integration of elements of John Cross philosophical and his philosophical and
spiritual lineage. Relying on the fact that S.C. Hayes stress on the core meaning of suffering as bearing a
burden (2005, 12), we have chosen this reference because the major part of John of the Cross writings,
and propositions of meditation and spiritual experience is founded on this question and has deeply
influenced various trends of philosophy and spirituality. In the general history of human thought, John of
the Cross has been explicitly linking knowing and suffering in the context of an experiential process (as
ACT does) and has inspired important philosophers as Jacques Maritain (1959) and Edith Stein (2011).
The dissertation will not try to show that ACT has a debt toward John Cross but to evaluate how its
conceptual apparatus allows to take advantage of what can be learned from an important spiritual and
philosophical heritage (still alive).

3. ACT as primarily a post-behaviorist and neo-pragmatist approach.

Of course in priority ACT has to be considered as a post-behaviourist and possibly neo-contextualistpragmatist conceptual apparatus. ACT as a post-Behaviorism Psychology can be analysed as an example
of a return of the represses : the tradition of science of consciousness, and be considered as a postDavid CAPES ~ What kind of post-scientist Psychology can allow integrating varieties of philosophical and spiritual heritage
? : the case of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy [ACT].

scientist Psychology. We will mention the behaviourist tradition that the ACT approach continues with :
first a focus on J.B. Watson, and second the B.F. Skinner as the author of The Origins of Cognitive
Thought as inspiring Relational Frame Theory that is part of the philosophy of science underlying the
ACT approach. But because it is open to consciousness, ACT is in the processes of defining its relations
with human philosophical and spiritual lineages that have already dealt with its concerns. Within the
limits of our dissertation, we will focus on the role of non-materialistic but agnostic pragmatist
contributions (particularly John Deweys one) to the different types of Behaviorism and as inspiring
Peppers philosophy of World Hypotheses [WH] (influenced by Deweys philosophy of aesthetics). We
will evaluate how ACT, giving consciousness a new role in the process of healing psychologically,
promotes practical philosophy as an exercise that helps to deal with human life as made of doubts and
dissatisfactions, and how dealing with that issues can be defined as a continuation of classical Pragmatism
(with differences between the Peirces, James or Deweys approaches).
Deepening the key influence of John Deweys ideas on ACT will provide insights on how :
-

he both inspired and criticised Behaviorism (1896),

he anticipated ACT through his proposition of a general theory of human inquiry dealing with
dissatisfying situations/contexts as in Logic, theory of inquiry,

he inspired through his (post-Hegelian) philosophy of aesthetics the Peppers approach of World
hypotheses (1942) that provided roots for the functional contextualism that ACT relies on
(Hayes and alii 1999).

Relying on the consequences of the ACT pluralist approach and its openness to mindfulness experiences,
we will see if that possibly leads to integrate methodologically Mysticism and Animism as World
Hypotheses as relatively adequate (contrary to Pepper, 1942) in addition to Formism, Mechanism,
Contextualism, Organicism, in the context of the therapeutic relation. Again this interrogates how ACT
conceptual apparatus allows integration of various spiritual and philosophical approaches.

4. Testing ACT as allowing integration of varieties of philosophical and spiritual heritage through the
example of its possible relations to John Cross tradition.
ACT shows explicitly an openness to the human spiritual heritage, and gives an importance to Buddhism
as it is continued in Mindfulness. Also, ACT focus on suffering. In the history of Western spiritual
traditions (Judaic, Christian and Islamic [Islam influenced European modernity and is part of the human
Western spiritual traditions]) a particular author : John Cross has proposed a lot of philosophical, spiritual
and practical approaches on this particular point of dealing with suffering. In our questioning of capacity
David CAPES ~ What kind of post-scientist Psychology can allow integrating varieties of philosophical and spiritual heritage
? : the case of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy [ACT].

of ACT to allow integration spiritual lineages, we will examine particular contents in John Cross writings
(and how they have been continued by Jacques Maritain and Edith Stein) because they can strengthen or
question the ACT approach. We will see that John Cross proposed a philosophically well established
experiential knowledge (Coe and Hall, 377) and promote a pre-psychological practical science
(Maritain, 391), and promote the conception of self-knowledge through overcoming suffering experiences
(Stein, 31). A kind of anthropological approach very similar to ACTs general purpose appears here.
Sufferings & pains are aspects of the human condition that common people, philosophers, physicians and
therapists are obliged to consider. ACT proposes concepts and methods, that at the same time :
-

Relies on science-based methodology, experiences and statistical assessments,

Considers the need for a philosophical work of questioning assumptions and give science
conceptual roots,

Accepts to be open to spiritual traditions and can acknowledge that these traditions experienced
and conceptualised aspects of the ACT proposition.

We will see how the historical role of John Cross in the history of Western thought and practice in ancient
and modern soul care (Coe and Hall, 2010, 377), focusing on experiencing and dealing with suffering
gives an opportunity to consider a common experiential knowledge of dealing with suffering that gives
humanity to cooperate toward improving psychological health apart from any kind of necessity to belief
the same things.

5. Could ACT be considered as continuing the tradition of the philosophical spiritual exercise
(Hadot, 1995) ?
In conclusion we will rely on the results of our evaluation of how ACT is able to allow possible
integration of these two lineages, we will see how an approach as ACT that is post-behaviorist and neopragmastist allows the possibility of a broad integration of : first, science and spirituality, and second :
theories and practices. On its philosophical side , this will lead us to consider how ACT can be also
considered as continuing what Pierre Hadot considers as a philosophical tradition of spiritual exercise
(1995).
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? : the case of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy [ACT].

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David CAPES ~ What kind of post-scientist Psychology can allow integrating varieties of philosophical and spiritual heritage
? : the case of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy [ACT].