Philosophy of Stress The purpose of this paper is to discuss the concept of stress by evaluating it through the lenses of logical positivism and process organism. Stress will be defined in the context of each perspective. A leading perspective will then be determined and its selection justified.
Definition of the Concept within the Two Perspectives
Logical Positivism One of the key assumptions logical positivism makes is the theory of verifiability (Godfrey-Smith, 2003). Thus, through this lens one must consider the verifiability of the concept of stress. In order to verify that stress is occurring one must be able to observe and quantify its occurrence according to logical positivism. Additionally, logical positivism aims to describe …show more content…
Accordingly a process organistic approach to the definition of stress would focus more on the experience that stress produces and how one changes throughout the process. Stress, therefore, would be defined as the feeling of being out of control, experiencing racing thoughts, difficulty concentrating, seeking a way out of the stressful situation, finding a solution, and resolving the stressful event. The process organistic definition would view stress as a process through an experience that is ever changing, much like a river that changes even while still standing in …show more content…
Consider one that has spent many years training their body to react well in stressful situations, such as a firefighter, or emergency room nurse. Although they might still be stressed, their heart rate might not jump a measurable degree, their pupils might not dilate, cortisol levels remain the same, and diaphoresis might not occur. Although the measurable and observable parameters are not being met, it does not mean that the individual does not mentally feel stressed. Additionally, the logical positivist definition fails to incorporate the various stages of stress one progresses through. Stress does not occur like an on/off switch in which all of a sudden these physical responses manifest, then suddenly they are resolved (although if getting chased by a bear they might suddenly manifest). Often stress is triggered by an event, climaxes, than slowly returns to baseline. One that is on the downward curve of the stressful situation might have a return to baseline of observable and measurable manifestations of stress (such as heart rate), yet still feel stressed. This feeling of stress in not anything that a logical positivist could observe or measure, though the individual might insist that it is