Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, Vol 45(4), Nov 2025, 347-364; doi:10.1037/teo0000276
This article provides a constructive critique of positive psychology, focusing on its second wave, which attempts to offer a more developed position than the first but still lacks a philosophical foundation anchored in an understanding of the inherent tensions between dialectical processes of authentic self-development and meaningful happiness or flourishing. Much criticism has been leveled against the so-called “tyranny of positive thinking,” and many agree that one of positive psychology’s most significant flaws is its consistent refusal to participate in any deep philosophical discussion. I argue that both the criticism of positive psychology and the approach it criticizes lack in-depth dialogue regarding human nature, freedom, and purpose in modern thought. Although the second wave tends to rely on Hegel’s dialectical worldview, I know of no reference in the positive psychology literature, even in works by its critics, to the fact that, from Hegel’s perspective, the ideal of happiness should be rejected. The lack of attention to the significance of this rejection, which profoundly influenced perceptions of individualism among nineteenth-century thinkers and significantly impacted the field of humanistic psychology in the twentieth century, points to significant failures that must be addressed if positive psychology is to preserve its relevance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)