ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the philosophical and political ideals undergirding evidence-based practice in psychology. It presents some of the key ideas from modern philosophy and shows how they are relevant to understand current psychology. This includes the ideal of scientific quantification and some critique of that ideal. The positivist and logical positivist roots of evidence-based practice are also criticised. The chapter presents sociological theory of bureaucratisation and standardisation highly relevant to understand the dynamic of evidence-based practice. In addition, it shows how evidence-based practice is shaped by new public management. Finally, it thematises some of the relationship between professions, which is relevant to understand evidence-based practice in psychology, and the ideal of technification.
