The Social Animal
“Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally… [or who] does not partake of society is either a beast or a god,” (Aristotle, c. 328 BCE.) Aristotle may have been the first person to articulate the basic principles of social psychology. Elliot Aronson, not the first to write about them, but perhaps a modern Aristotle in his teaching, writing, and research, wrote a book titled The Social Animal. In it, with an emphasis on conformity, he explains eight broad concepts of social psychology, who he is and why he wrote the book, as well as social psychology itself. Elliot Aronson is quite an interesting man. At 78 years, he has experienced the great depression, civil rights movements, fourteen presidents, four major wars, and a plethora of other great social catastrophes and good fortune. Who better to comment on society than one who has lived through it all?
Aronson’s highest degree is a PhD in psychology from Stanford University, which he received in 1959. While studying, he worked closely with renowned psychologists such as David McClelland, Leon Festinger, and Abraham Maslow. Aronson has written sixteen books including The Social Animal which is a 10 volume collection, taught at four universities, developed the Jigsaw classroom method, and refined the theory of Cognitive dissonance (NSU, 2010). Later in his life, Elliot Aronson was diagnosed with macular degeneration; today he is mostly blind. In 1970 Aronson was invited to Stanford University to do whatever his heart desired; he opted to write a book (Aronson ix). Many social psychologists like to call their field “a young science,” as to belittle themselves and lower expectations. The purpose of the volume, according to the author himself, is to elucidate the relevance that social psychology holds and how it may resolve many problems within our society, and answer some of life’s most difficult questions (Aronson, x). Social psychology as defined by
Aronson’s highest degree is a PhD in psychology from Stanford University, which he received in 1959. While studying, he worked closely with renowned psychologists such as David McClelland, Leon Festinger, and Abraham Maslow. Aronson has written sixteen books including The Social Animal which is a 10 volume collection, taught at four universities, developed the Jigsaw classroom method, and refined the theory of Cognitive dissonance (NSU, 2010). Later in his life, Elliot Aronson was diagnosed with macular degeneration; today he is mostly blind. In 1970 Aronson was invited to Stanford University to do whatever his heart desired; he opted to write a book (Aronson ix). Many social psychologists like to call their field “a young science,” as to belittle themselves and lower expectations. The purpose of the volume, according to the author himself, is to elucidate the relevance that social psychology holds and how it may resolve many problems within our society, and answer some of life’s most difficult questions (Aronson, x). Social psychology as defined by