Page xiiiself-responsibility; the nature and source of emotions, the relationship of reason and emotion, the problem of
emotional repression; and, finally, the concepts of mental health and illness.
Some of the material in this book originally appeared in The Objectivist (formerly The Objectivist Newsletter), a
journal of ideas of which I was co-founder with Ayn Rand, and, from 1962 to 1968, coeditor. Some of the material
in one chapter originally appeared in my book Who Is Ayn Rand?^1 Although I am no longer associated with Miss
Rand, I welcome this opportunity to acknowledge the invaluable contribution which her work as a philosopher has
made to my own thinking in the field of psychology. I indicate, throughout the text, specific concepts and theories
of Miss Rand's philosophy, Objectivism, which are crucially important to my own ideas. The Objectivist
epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics are the philosophical frame of reference in which I write as a psychologist.
Indeed, for many years, when lecturing on my psychological theories, it was my practice to designate my system as
"Objectivist Psychology." I knew, however, that this was only a temporary designation—a working title—and that
it is not appropriate to name a system of psychology, or any science, after a philosophy. One would not, for
instance, speak of "Objectivist Physics," even if a physicist were to make use of tenets of Objectivist epistemology
or metaphysics.
The name I eventually selected arose from my conviction that psychology must be firmly rooted in a biological
orientation; that a study of the nature of man must begin with a study of the nature of life; that man's psychological
nature can only be understood in the context of his nature as a living organism; and that man's nature and needs as a
specific kind of organism are the source both of his unique achievements and of his potential problems. The
biocentric approach (i.e., the biologically oriented, life-centered approach) is basic to my thinking and to my
method of analyzing psychological problems. For this reason, I call my system: Biocentric Psychology.
It is, of course, an indication that a science is at an early stage of development when that science is still divided into
schools, each with its own name. In this sense, I regret that it is necessary to designate my work by any name at all.
And, in truth, in my own mind I do not call what I am doing Biocentric Psychology. I call it psychology.