On 10 October 2013, Dr. Sebastian Joseph delivered a talk on reconstructing the mindset of the past for the post-graduate students of Psychology Department of the college. In this talk, Dr. Joseph discussed how the study of mentalities became an important concern for certain historians in the first half of 20th Century, and the nature of impact that had on historical research. He highlighted the attempts made by annales historians to understand mentalities or outillage mental of the past through a deeper analysis of human actions and languages of the past. He stressed the important insights this concern shed on understanding the past. Dr. Joseph also mentioned the relevance of such studies in understanding the changes in Kerala society. He concluded his talk by pointing out the importance of reaching out to other disciplines and methodologies while pursuing post-graduation since that would only strengthen one’s understanding of his or her own discipline. It would facilitate critical thinking and encourage inter-disciplinarity. The talk was organized by the Psychology Association.
