Historical psychological analysis of science reveals the significance of the
personality of the scientist. This article illucidates features of the work of
B. D. Parygin, which we consider as a reflection of his personality: the scale
and integrity of his approach; specifically historical approach; innovativeness, the ability to perceive emerging trends in the development of society
and science, so that he was often ahead of his time; rootedness of his methodology in the Russian scientific tradition; originality and unconventionality. It is shown that B. D. Parygin was the first to offer a holistic, rooted in the national scientific tradition, concept of social psychology as a system of scientific knowledge and consistently developed it throughout life, enriching and developing his theory and methodology while investigating social
reality in its historical changes.