Abraham Maslow Biography
| Born as | Abraham Harold Maslow |
| Occup. | Psychologist |
| From | USA |
| Spouse | Bertha Goodman |
| Born | April 1, 1908
Brooklyn, New York, USA |
| Died | June 8, 1970
Menlo Park, California, USA |
| Cause | Heart Attack |
| Aged | 62 years |
Abraham Maslow was a renowned American psychologist known for his foundational work in humanistic psychology and development of the "Hierarchy of Needs". Born on April 1, 1908, in Brooklyn, New York, to Samuel and Rose Maslow, he was the oldest of seven siblings.
Maslow grew up in a Jewish family and experienced considerable antisemitism, which some believe spurred his interest in understanding human behavior, motivation, and mental well-being. He attended the City College of New York (CCNY) and then transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned his bachelor's (1928), master's (1930), and Ph.D. (1934) degrees in psychology. Afterward, Maslow taught at Brooklyn College from 1937 to 1951.
Influenced by the work of psychologists such as
Alfred Adler,
Erich Fromm,
Karen Horney, and
Harry Stack Sullivan, Maslow developed his own theory of human motivation, culminating in the influential 'Hierarchy of Needs.' This pyramid of human needs has five levels, with the most basic being physiological needs such as food and shelter, followed by safety and security, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Maslow believed that as individuals meet their lower-level needs, they can strive to achieve the higher-level ones. His work shaped the field of humanistic psychology, which emphasizes a holistic view of the human experience and the potential for personal growth.
In 1951, Maslow joined the faculty at Brandeis University, where he established the psychology department and served as its chairman for ten years. He was known as an innovative educator who inspired students, including Abraham Schutz and Paul Goodman, to further explore human nature and focus on human potential. Maslow became president of the American Psychological Association in 1967, where he continued to advocate for the humanistic approach.
Throughout his career, Maslow authored several influential books, including "Motivation and Personality" (1954) and "Toward a Psychology of Being" (1962), which expanded on his humanistic perspective and significantly impacted counseling and therapeutic methods. His ideas produced a range of measurement scales to assess individuals' self-actualization, and he is considered a leading figure in the development of the "human potential movement" during the 1960s.
In the late years of his career, Maslow turned his focus from self-actualization to concepts like self-transcendence and the "peak experience", exploring the potential for individuals to connect with something larger than themselves, leading to greater wisdom, empathy, and creativity.
Abraham Maslow died on June 8, 1970, at the age of 62, in Menlo Park, California, after suffering a heart attack. His groundbreaking work has left a lasting impact on the fields of psychology, business, education, and mental health, as many continue to explore and apply the ideas he pioneered.
Our collection contains 18 quotes who is written / told by Abraham.
Related authors: Harry Stack Sullivan (Psychologist), Erich Fromm (Psychologist), Alfred Adler (Psychologist), Karen Horney (Psychologist)
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