The first essay of this paper will cover Question two of section “A”. This essay will examine Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson tie religion in early childhood, with a focus on the contrasting difference of both thinkers’ views of the means in determining the value of religion and how religion is related to mature development. Finally, both thinkers’ views will be analyzed to determine the value of religious implication and my personal opinion of which thinker provides the most compelling view. It is well known that Sigmund Freud based his thinking purely on science and the notion of common sense; anything else is deemed a non-factual response stemming from a lack of knowledge or understanding of a specific subject. A major subject of Freud critique …show more content…
Erikson however, sees the potential benefit of introducing children to the concept of religion in order to facilitate the forming and advancing their psychosocial development. Both thinkers, respectively, hold beliefs polar opposite to the other in regards to the introduction of religion during childhood. Acknowledging that Freud’s thinking is purely inline with science and therefore fact, it is difficult to dismiss his ideas. However, Erikson does provided an updated version of Freud’s thinking in his further development of the psychosocial stages and does effectively correlate the relevance of religious integration and his openness for interpretation, where Freud simply dismisses religion as nonsense and doesn’t mean to discuss any potential benefit. It is difficult to debate reason, however, as a non-religious individual, I’m still am compelled by Erikson as he further contemplates the potential for good in religious integration in an individual 's youth. I am of the belief that both thinkers’ ideas serve a purpose in their field. Therefore, I deem what is conclusively optimal; that the amalgamation of both factual thinking and, when applicable, religious or spiritual interpretation, relevant to general understanding allows for an individual to perceive the world and personal growth as they see
ADLER, Mortimer J. Editor in Chief. Great Books of the Western World. The Major Works of Sigmund Freud. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 1996.
Freud’s theory was developed from speculation based on
Sigmund Freud, known as the father of psychoanalysis, was a physiologist, medical doctor, and influential thinker of the early twentieth century” (Thornton). He came up with many strange ideas about the human brain that many psychologists struggled to come to acceptance with, but these theories made him an acclaimed psychologist. His ideas could not be scientifically proven by any means, but that did not matter to the public. They exalted Freud and everything he stood for. Huxley saw how Freud’s discoveries left everybody in apprehension, and that intimidated him, Huxley saw how effortlessly people could be manipulated by one person who had no tangible scientific evidence to back his philosophy up.
Throughout this essay I will demonstrate how religion has played a role in the lives of humans as well as explicate the reasoning behind the true nature of the creation of religion by a psychopath.
In this paper I attempt to describe the similarities and differences in both Erik Erikson and Sigmund Freuds ideas on development. I also attempt to describe the many influences that contributed to the creation of both Freud and Erikson's ideas of development as well as some background information on both theorists.
Erich Fromm in his psychoanalytical approach to religion is distinct from the earlier works of Sigmund Freud. Fromm defines religion as “any system of thought and action shared by a group which gives the individual a frame of orientation and an object of devotion.” Fromm argues that irreligious systems including all the different kinds of idealism and “private” religions deserve being defined as a “religion.” Based on Fromm’s theory, it is explained that there is no human being who does not have a “religious need,” almost every part of human life reflects religious need and its fulfillment, in fact he states it to be “inherent” in man.
In the first two chapter of the book, Freud explores a possible source of religious feeling. He describes an “oceanic feeling of wholeness, limitlessness, and eternity.” Freud himself is unable to experience such a feeling, but notes that there do indeed...
In the midst of his already successful career, Sigmund Freud decided to finally dedicate a book of his to religion, referring to the subject as a phenomena faced by the scientific community. This new work, Totem and Taboo, blew society off its feet, ultimately expanding the reaches of debates and intellectual studies. From the beginning, Freud argues that there exists a parallel between the archaic man and the contemporary compulsive. Both these types of people, he argues, exhibit neurotic behavior, and so the parallel between the two is sound. Freud argues that we should be able to determine the cause of religion the same way we determine the cause of neurosis. He believes, since all neuroses stem from childhood experiences, that the origins of this compulsive behavior we call religion should also be attributed to some childhood experiences of the human race, too. Freudian thought has been dominant since he became well known. In Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans, religion becomes entirely evident as a major part of the novel, but the role it specifically plays is what we should question. Therefore, I argue that Freud’s approach to an inborn sense of religion and the role it plays exists in The Last of the Mohicans, in that the role religion plays in the wilderness manifests itself in the form of an untouchable truth, an innate sense of being, and most importantly, something that cannot and should not be tampered with.
Contemporary Psychology, 36, 575-577. Freud, S. (1961). The Species of the World. The Complete Works of Sigmund Freud. London: The Hogarths.
Freud, Sigmund. New Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis. Ed. James Strachey. Trans. James Strachey. Standard. Vol. 22. London: Hogarth Press, 1964.
Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist, was the principle proponent of the psychoanalytic personality theory. Psychoanalytic personality theory is tells us that the majority of human behavior is motivated by the unconscious, a part of the personality that contains the memories, knowledge, beliefs, feelings urges, drives, and instincts that the individual is unaware, and that only a small part of our psychological makeup is actually derived from the conscious experience. The problem is our unconscious mind disguises the meaning of the material it contains. As such, the psychoanalytic personality theory is ver...
Sigmund Freud has been heralded as one of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century. He is renowned for his discoveries about the human mind, particularly dreams, fantasies, and the role of the unconscious. Even though many of his theories were (and are) viewed as controversial, his ideas revolutionized the way people think about themselves. The potency of his notions have permeated almost every discipline, including literature, art, and medicine. This paper will examine the life, the influences, and the impact of Sigmund Freud. It will begin by discussing who he is, his personal history, and then talk about his role in the development of psychoanalysis. Next it will discuss some of the individuals who greatly inspired Freud. Finally, it will move on to talk about some of those upon whom Freud was an influence.
Westen, D. (1998). The scientific legacy of Sigmund Freud: toward a psychodynamically informed psychological science. Psychological Bulletin, 124(3), 333.
Goodwin, A. (1998). Freud and Erikson: Their Contributions to the Psychology of God-Image Formation. Pastoral Psychology, 47(2), 97-117. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
The first theory Psychodynamic theory presented by Sigmund Freud, is based on how a person’s self-awareness and understanding of the past on present behavior. Psychody...