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The Historical and Philosophical Context of Rational Psychotherapy: The Legacy of Epictetus

Author(s) : Arthur Still, Author(s) : Windy Dryden

Reviews and Endorsements

'"It is a characteristic of William James that he was not overawed by the achievements of Helmholtz, or the confident rhetoric of any other scientist, but was always able to stand back and reflect." So write Dryden and Still in the present volume. In spades, that statement is true of them too in this tour de force. If the reader invests in one text with a philosophical bent, or he or she is just interested in the history of ideas in high culture, buy this book: it is a gem! Reading the Introduction alone will be a treat for both the serious and casual student of history, modernity, and postmodernity. Each chapter presents ideas from among those that form the philosophical underpinnings of science, social and cognitive science, and the homology that links Albert Ellis (and Aaron T. Beck) to Epictetus as the synechdoche for the Stoics. It was difficult for me to stop reading this text once started: I judge that anyone who engages its pages will be in for a treat and mind expanding adventure.'
- James McMahon PsyD, PhD, ThD, ScD, Doctor Honoris Causa; Faculty Supervisor, Diplomate, and Vice President, Albert Ellis Institute, NYC

'This book is an authoritative and insightful collection of essays on the historical and philosophical context of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). Informed by a wealth of scholarship, ranging from Ancient Greek philosophers to Husserl, Foucault, and Bakhtin, the authors document homologies between Stoic philosophy and REBT, as well as tracing more modern influences. Particular strengths are the explication of the concept of rationality in REBT and clarification of the distinction between REBT and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. The book is essential reading for anyone seeking a subtle and sophisticated understanding of cognitive approaches to psychotherapy.'
- Elizabeth Valentine, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London

'This analysis of the background to Albert Ellis's Rational Therapy and its fortunes since the 1950s is nevertheless far from a narrowly focused specialist monograph. Still and Dryden demonstrate how such an exercise raises basic theoretical and conceptual issues about the nature of rationality, philosophy of science, morality, research methods, and "marginality". These, they argue, can only be understood in the context of a covert persistence of the Stoic philosophical tradition (which Ellis knew), concerned with right living, alongside overtly dominant concerns with empirical knowledge. Casting both
psychotherapy and psychology in a fascinatingly original light, they show what can happen when therapeutic practice meets genuine scholarship.'
- Graham Richards, Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University College London