Essay about Freud Suggest Religion is an Illusion - 671 Words

Freud in his writing suggests that religion is an â€Å"illusion.† Not your typical deception of something, rather misapprehension of religion. Additionally, Freud provides brand new eyes to look at religion and its construct of civilization. He further provides evidence of his own, as well as suggesting a psychoanalytical approach to religion. Countless times Freud referred to his own psychological ideas of development including the transition of a child to an adult development. Freud heeds, a successful transition of developing from a child to a functioning adult in â€Å"reality† is necessary otherwise it leads to anxiety. This level of anxiety stems from â€Å"instinctual prohibitions† shaping into a state repression, caused by religion. Freud†¦show more content†¦For example, he highlights God, power, nature, good versus evil, hell versus heaven, fate and so on. He also explains that â€Å"Life in this world serves a higher purpose; no doubt it is not easy to guess what that purpose is, but it certainly signifies a perfecting of mans nature. It is probably the spiritual part of man, the soul†¦which is the object of this elevation and exaltation† (Freud, 1972, p. 18). Ideas such as soul and body are inclusive to nature and the universe, instead of human society. On the other hand, Freud is more concerned with instilling the idea that infancy and childhood is a key role in development, he states, â€Å"by the time the childs intellect awakens, the doctrines of religion have already become unassailable,† suggesting that religion is a force that shapes civilization in which people function, as well as form our judgment of human civilization. Hence, the importance of developing successfully as opposed to failing to function in society, whether they are religious or not. Instead, he dubs man as â€Å"a creature of weak intelligence who is ruled by his instinctual wishes.† In respect to Freud’s ideas and suggestions, it is hard to ignoreShow MoreRelatedSigmund Freud The Future Of An Illusion Analysis1199 Words   |  5 PagesFreud gives his insights about what he defines as religion and how the societal neurosis called religion can be expunged from our lives. Freud, in his book The Future of an Illusion gives his psychoanalytical theory in trying to explain religion and postulates that the phenomenon called religion is an imagination, a mere illusion that goes beyond questioning. He suggests that science will provide us with knowledge and explanations to do away with the religious neurosis and live a life where scienceRead More Freud and Hedda Gabler: The Wolf Behind the Protagonist1369 Words   |  6 Pageshuman instinct and place an order so a broader society can function; the basic human is far from controlled. Sigmund Freud in ‘From Civilizations and Its discontents’ suggest that nothing can really control human instinct but rather deter it from its ‘ho mo homini lupus’(Freud, 1697) nature which translates into man is a wolf to man. This ‘homo homini lupus’ form of instinct suggest a more aggressive side of humans with the tendencies of not interacting with people but merely using people. HenrikRead MoreKey Concepts of Religious Experience as an Argument for the Existence of God707 Words   |  3 Pagestheir experiences religiously whilst others are justified in presenting alternative explanations for the same phenomenon. Another problem is that we know our senses can be deceived, for example Optical Illusions, this implies that perhaps religious experiences are just illusions. There are 2 possible outcomes, one is that the interpretation is of Reality I think therefore I am (Descartes) or it is of an opposite nature When a man tells me God has spoken to him in a dream†¦Read MoreThe Holy Of The World1321 Words   |  6 PagesSince the beginning of scientific research, many controversies have arisen concerning the topic of religion. It has been debated on both ends of the spectrum to come to a conclusion on whether or not God truly exists. Faith and knowledge have to be debated by many scientists around the world for various reasons. â€Å"†¦There is not enough evidence anywhere to absolutely prove God, but there is adequate evidence to justify the assumption or the faith that God exists† (Thomas, p. 263). â€Å"Now we believe,Read MoreReligious Experiences are all Illusions3185 Words   |  13 Pages‘Religious experiences are all illusions.’ Discuss. Most arguments for the existence of God are ‘a posteriori’, seeking to move from experiences within the world to the existence of God rather than relying on the definition of God to prove his existence. Religious experience is an interaction with God or a feeling of connection with a higher power. It is interesting to note that William James never spoke of ‘God’ but of the ‘spiritual’, ‘unseen order’ or ‘higher’ aspects of the world. Does a personRead More Freud Essay1234 Words   |  5 PagesMarx and Frederick Engels present their view of human nature and the effect that the economic system and economic factors have on it. Marx and Engels discuss human nature in the context of the economic factors which they see as driving history. Freud, in Civilization and Its Discontents, explores human nature through his psychological view of the human mind. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Marx states that history quot;...is the history of class strugglesquot; (9). Marx views history as beingRead MoreBiography Of Sigismund Schlomo Freud s Life1929 Words   |  8 PagesSigismund Schlomo Freud was born in 1856 on May the 6th. He grew up in the Freiberg, which is located in Austria, and now it called Pribor in the Czech Republic. When he was twenty- two his name changed to Sigmund Freud. Additionally, he is the son of a deeply religious Jewish father and his father was encouraging him to learn more about Hebrew Scriptures. Freud was the oldest of eight children (Nystule, 2011). â€Å"His father was a wool merchant with a keen mind and a good sense of humor. His motherRead MorePsycho Dynamic Concepts And Therapies1283 Words   |  6 Pagesreligious and ethnic backgrounds. Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, believed religion to be the cause of mental health illnesses and viewed it as an illusion. However, we have come far since Freud’s dismissal of religion and in the 21st Century to ignore the importance of religion in the client’s life, can be detrimental; specifically, Islam. For the individual, Islam is not solely a religion but a way of life. As a counselor, understanding the religion and its practices as well as the IslamicRead MoreFreud, The Phenomenon Of Thought Transference Essay2349 Words   |  10 PagesFreud then discusses, â€Å"The phenomenon of thought transference, which is very close to telepathy..†(page 49). Thought transference can be described as the mental process in a person, the ideas, emotional states, and conative impulses, which can be transferred to someone without using any communication, signs or languages. Freud relates cases of patients who have performed thought transference they include, a man who is in love with his sister and he wants to marry her, a woman who couldn’t conceiveRead MoreCharacteristics of African Religion1769 Words   |  8 PagesCharacteristics of African religion A Supreme being: Throughout most of Africa there is belief of a supreme being, described by one or more names, either in terms of activities or place of abode. African people relate to or worship God through praying, singing and dancing, making sacrificial offerings, dedications and invoking blessings. In many respects, the attitude given toward the supreme creator resembles the respect given to African rulers. According to African tradition certain procedures