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Explain the view of sigmuxd freud in sociology of religion
Sigmund Freud on psychology of religion
Explain the view of sigmuxd freud in sociology of religion
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In his text entitled, “A Philosophy of Life”, Sigmund Freud clearly states that religion is nothing more than an illusion created by man in light of psychological needs. In Freud’s opinion, religion simply serves certain functions in society, and does not stand up to scrutiny of science. He also attacks the “religious Weltanschauung” (world view), saying that it is does not allow for thought and therefore is a threat to mankind. Whether Freud is correct in his opinions is up for debate, however, what he has to say is both intriguing and logical.
The first matter Freud discusses is the purpose of religion. According to the author, the functions of religion are as follows: (1) to satisfy the human thirst for knowledge,(2) to give people happiness and sense of comfort, and (3) to set up rules and restrictions to govern behavior. Religion provided answers to the many questions that could not be answered by man prior to science. Religion answered the many questions people had about nature, life, and creation. In addition, religion also acted as a comfort to man. It offered a happiness and sense of protection to people in times of woe or uncertainty. And lastly, faith and organized religion set up rules and prohibitions that gave men advice on how to live life. ( Freud 135) These three purposes of faith tell the reader that it serves a social function as opposed to being in place because of its truth.
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After reading this week’s readings, I decide to focus my attention on Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents, and to briefly touch on pragmatic views. I can see the similarities between the two, were religion, philosophy and science all intertwines, as it relates to finding truth or should I say truth as it relates to achieving certain goals in order to support social values and needs. The implications that what is true, may not necessarily be true, and that any and all knowledge that contributes to human values, can be interpreted as truth. Pragmatists contend that most philosophical topics should be viewed in terms of their practical uses and successes and that knowledge can be evaluated from the goals that this knowledge is able to support
... being. We also used to believe that the universe was Geocentric, when Copernicus suggested that this was wrong and our universe was heliocentric, the church ostracized him. Science is capable of explaining all things it is just a matter of time before all questions that we believe to be unanswerable find an answer through scientific research. The Large Hadron Collider is even researching the big bang. We will eventually answer all of our questions through science. C.S Lewis also had a great outlook on life, his belief in God led him onto success and happiness. Perhaps a belief religion is not believing in a God, but finding a belief that will make your life happy and answer the questions that you need. I personally believe that Freud and his path of science is correct, conversely if a person wishes to believe in a God or religion I can see their point of view.
Similar to Marx, Freud believes humans simply make up the idea of God in explanation to things science could not disprove. Humans take relationships from our Earthly fathers and compare it to our Heavenly father. According to Freud, “Religion is an attempt to master the sensory world in which we are situated by means of the wishful world which we have developed within us as a result of biological and psychological necessities.” (H/R,p.26) Science can neither prove or disprove religion. Freud chooses to believe science and claims religion is only comforting and hopeful thinking to our purpose after
Religion is defined as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. Throughout time, religion has been debated to the point where many have philosophers have claimed it as a crutch for individuals in times of depression or despair. However, the purpose of religion has been argued numerous times and now the age old question remains whether or not religion is a want or a need. This question has been debated, and it is clear where philosophers such as Kierkegaard, James and Nietzsche stand, in regards to such prominent men as Marx, Skinner and Freud. Both sides pose salient arguments and each present strong points. Based on each argument presented, religion is therefore both a want and a need under certain conditions.
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.
Freud, Feuerbach, Marx and Nietzsche criticized the wrong motive for the religiosity of some people. Some people actually believe in God because of guilt, fear of punishment, because of the inability to solve their problems, because of
...en civilization and the individual. Living in a nation still recovering from a brutally violent war (Germany), Freud began to criticize organized religion as a collective neurosis, or mental disorder. Freud, a strong proponent of atheism, argued that religion tamed asocial instincts and created a sense of community because of the shared set of beliefs. This undoubtedly helped a civilization. However, at the same time organized religion also exacts an enormous psychological cost to the individual by making him or her perpetually subordinate to the primal figure embodied by God.
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.
Sigmund Freud is known to be one of the most prominent scholars on research and thoughts regarding human nature. Freud is acknowledged for establishing out of the box theories with dominant concepts that are backed up by good evidence. Freud’s arguments are quite convincing, but very controversial. When thoughts get controversial, a loss of strength for an argument occurs. Freud feels that religion is a psychological anguish and suffering. (Webster, 2003) For Freud, religion attempts to influence individuals psychologically in order to enhance wish fulfillment, infantile sexuality, Oedipal Complex, and dominating humanity all over the world. (Webster, 2003) Sigmund Freud referred himself as a scientist, his main work surrounded psychology. (Webster, 2003) Science and Religion are completely different, from their beliefs to their thoughts; they can never come together as one. Thus, showing that on the grounds of accuracy, Freud’s thoughts on religious ideas as wish fulfillment cannot be accepted. Freud claims that religious ideas are illusions and fulfillments of infantile wishes, in my opinion, he is incorrect, religion allows us to gain support and knowledge, self-actualize, and give us the ability to understand the world we live in.
In the last chapter of Totem and Taboo, Freud gave his explanation to the origin of religions. His theory regarding the development of civilization, begins by stating that each group is related to their own animal or plant species, which they “believe that they are descended from it. This is due to this belief that they do not hunt the totem animal or kill or eat it” (Freud, 96). Humans believe that spirits exists in totem animals, in which they are also manifestation of god. By not killing the totem animal, they can help “in case of illness and gives the tribe premonitions and warnings” (Freud, 96). This sheds light on the modern forms of religion. For instance, Hindus honor cows. They view cows as a sacred species. If not necessary, they
Freud voices his opinion when he says, Freud 717). Freud challenges the existence of religion and says it is an illusion because he is more inclined to believing in scientific reason. Religion is more subjective whereas, science is more objective. That is why Freud says that religion appeals to our wish fulfillment. He says that illusions aren’t false when he uses the example of a middle-class girl having an illusion of a prince marrying her and he points out the fact that it is possible but unlikely. Freud is trying to say that the heavenly father is nothing but an illusion. To Freud religion is an “invented illusion” and science is insusceptible to illusion. Therefore, we are presented with an “expression of faith –or, rather, unfaith” when presented with the idea of “religious illusion”. There is a point where Borges reveals to readers that, (Borges 71-72). The lottery of Babylon is known to be a society that functions in secret and is absolute in authority. The Company is a figure of chance but chance is an inexorable component of life and that is why the idea of the company might seem too complex for the people of Babylon to comprehend. The lottery is an arbitrary system that has no providential logic which ties it to a kind of anti-fate. Freud presents to his readers the possibility of religion being and illusion and similarly Borges does the
Rather than create a historical impact by making accurate assertions about the psychology of religion, Freud’s minimally researched and somewhat narcissistic theory has only tarnished his scholarly credibility. Works Cited Freud, Sigmund. “Civilization and its Discontents.” The Major Works of Sigmund Freud. Ed.
What is meant by Metaphysics? Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of reality, including the relationship between mind and matter, substance and attribute, fact and value.
The abstract idea of life cannot be explained by such simple ideas as being animated, breathing, or speaking. Ordinary machines in this century can perform all of these basic functions. The quandary with defining death is not as abstract and elusive as that of life. The problem of defining life and death has plagued philosophers and the religious bodies for thousands of years for one reason; each philosophy or religion has tried to define the meaning of life and death from only their certain perspective. The seemingly appropriate approach to this problem would be to understand the ideas presented in various philosophies and religions and through this knowledge create a new definition for each idea of life and death. The movie Blade Runner has taken this exact approach in its attempt to finally define life and death in a logical and un-spiritual manner. By taking the position that death is a concrete idea that can be explained, Blade Runner accomplishes the task of interpreting the idea of life in terms death. Through this approach, the meaning of life is redefined to accommodate for the existence of the replicants. Also, as a result of this novel notion of life, it is apparent that humans and replicants never actually live, even though they are alive.
Philosophy can be described as a chance for a person to undertake an opportunity to understand themselves, our world and society, and relations between ourselves and one another. Those who are able to study philosophy can find out what is to be human, what kind of person is it good to be, and especially how are we to live a good life. I, myself, have had an opportunity to take a philosophy class and as my time in philosophy is starting to come to a close, I am suddenly realizing how philosophy has changed the aspects and my outlook upon my life.