From experience to critique: a psychobiography of Tibor Scitovsky in the age of the 4IR
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: . It explores the life experiences that led Scitovszky to question the dominant economic views of his time - among them the idea that economic rationality serves individual welfare, and that the individual always knows what is best for themselves. The study, based on Scitovszky's self-reflective writings (Scitovsky, 1991, 1992, 1997), interprets his developmental trajectory through the logic of the hermeneutic circle (experience - reflection - critique), within the framework of Levinson's theory of psychosocial development. By tracing the formation of Scitovszky's critical thinking from childhood onward, the study shows that this thinking did not originate from prior theoretical convictions, but from his own life experiences. It also offers insights - primarily related to the importance of self-reflection - that may contribute to a deeper understanding of the welfare challenges emerging in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), and to their constructive handling from the perspective of the consumer.
Author: Virág Rab
Institution: University of Pecs
Language: English
Subfield: General Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funder: Pécsi Tudományegyetem
OpenAlex ID: W4412100069