Allg2 Flashcards
Explain the role of INFINITIES (inner-outer, future-past) in understanding human lives.
Human lives in the finalities of having been born and death. In the space between there is a
future infinity as example in form of expectations for marriage, childbirth, grandchildren or
death. On the other hand, there are markers of past infinity like graveyards and myth stories.
The two progresses are imagination (future) and remembrance (past). The point of view is
the presence. The inner infinity is destined of the own Person on deep impression but on the
things shown at the surface. The outer infinity is shaped by experiences in the outer world
like the near region as well like more distanced circumstances. Future and past doesn’t have
an end. There are things like death which seems like a border, but this border can be crossed
in a transcending way.
Explain the moral guidance functions of life course images (“staircase of life”).
The staircase of life shows an idealistic picture of a person in a certain stage of his life. It
implies how a person has to be and therefore how to act in the perspective of the lifespan.
Sometimes this leads to a conscious violation of the social norms, maybe because the
freedom of the individual seems to be threatened by the social boundaries. The physical and
psychological changes are inevitable. The reaching of a climax in human development could
evoke stress in reaching a goal not in time.
Analyze the importance of AS-IS <> AS-IF contrast (Vaihinger) and the relevance of further
differentiation of AS-IF field
AS-IS describes something, that is already happened, from the past to the present. All this
happened in an irreversible time. Because we constantly making the future out of the
present moment, we have an image how something is and how it could be (AS-IF). The how it
could be is determined by the inner appraisal of how it should be and how it must not be,
there is some space which is not rated, because it is not consciously thought. What we feel
and think is directed into the future (for the future) like the moral discourses. The system
leads a way for each individual to create future actions, which are corresponding with inner
and outer imagination of righteousness.
Explain open-systems nature of the human psyche and the double guidance of human
relations with environment.
The human psyche can be guided by others immediate or mediated or by the self with
selection and transformation of environmental influences. The guidance itself is possible
through signs. The guidance happens somewhere in the interaction of a person with the
environment and vice versa. Everything we do happens in a social world which cannot see as
a closed system. The self-rating or the rating of someone else are just snapshots which differ
in the social context and time. If we want to answer a question the future is involved and
shown in their meaning. Open systems just work with the interaction with others and the
resulting relationships. Every open system therefore must be seen in the relationship
exchange with the environment. The object of investigation is the borderline between the
system and the environment. Everything we do is connected with the world outside and
happenings like the thinking and feeling are just possible through specific functions in these
environments.
Explain the feedforward function of Einfühlung (Lipps).
Einfühlung itself is the feeling into an object, it means to make connections or relations with
this object. The process makes it easier to connect with the Umwelt. You learn something
about yourself, Einfühlung can change your actions and helps to understand certain social
constructions.
E.g.: When someone tells you an emotional story about his life, you are able to experience
similar emotions through Einfühlung.
Einfühlung (Lipps) is the central concept in our relating with the world. It becomes a FEED-
FORWARD mechanism in the development of the person, mediated by three layers of the
INTERNALIZATION PROCESS: Layer I- chat, Layer II- dialogue, Layer III- deep feeling. All these
three forms of externalization are next moments of Einfühlung that leads to further
internalization and so on. The more you feel into the world, the more complex the picture
about the world is.
How is feeling-into-world linked with the internalization <> externalization system?
The information of the environment, which varies in the feeling-into-world, is processed in
the subjective layer-system. The feelings about the world are processed there and
transforming these incoming messages into a new form (internalization) which leads to
different externalizations (in Chat, dialogue with self or other and personal feelings about the
world). The externalization again influences the internalization (like a circle). Therefore, we
create our own feeling-into-world by producing different externalization through the shift in
experiencing the environment.
- How do you understand the idea that a border SIMULTANEOUSLY separates and unites the
phenomena between it acts as a border?
If the environment has similar borders than me it unites me with it but the decision for
something is always a decision against something, so it also separates. If my borders are
strong me stay alone in the environment, is it weak, the self could be lost in the
environment. Borders can be seen as limits but also as markers to be crossed, they help us to
structure our life and can be constructed if none are there. If there is no border there is
nothing but an empty room. If we have a limit for something, these limits are resulting in
differences between the things. A and B can be divided but still have connections (two
persons are separated bodily but still connected through their friendship or love). The triplet
“Äußeres – Grenze – Inneres” arises, exists and fades in this constellation. It is not possible to
lose the borderline and to escape the center, because then there wouldn’t be a center
anymore.
Discuss the general structure of biological membranes.
The membrane separates the Cytoplasm from the extracellular fluid to keep a running and
protected system. There are specialized gates for different substances each has a specific
function for the whole. There must be specific conditions that A interferes with B (not linear).
If there wouldn’t be borders, there would be a diffuse whole. The membrane has similarities
with the triplet of Outside – Inside – Border. Humans are creating borders or limitations to
protect themselves or other.
How are Vorstellung and Darstellung related in irreversible time?
absolute Boundary: time
The Darstellung acts in the past to the present moment and creates a Vorstellung which is
acting from the present to the future.
We use past Darstellungen about moral, ethic, rights, expectations to make assumptions
about the future (Vorstellungen). The learning in the present moment also implies certain
Vorstellungen for the future (e.g. racisms).
Darstellungen of a psychological functioning are monuments (political, social, religious etc.)
Explain the notion of a sign and transformations between point-like and field-like signs.
Point-Like signs are interpreted as clear parts in an uncalculable whole. The phenomen
becomes a distinct role in a system (schematization). Field-Like signs are referring on an
indefinite subjective whole. The sign itself has no clear interpretation borders
(pleromatization). If both processes are coming together, generalizations are possible.
Describe the 4 levels of sign mediation.
There are different settings in which semiotic mediation occurs. In the immediate
experiencing level 1 signs are located. Level 1 signs are pre-verbal signs, which are presented
iconic, indexical and hybrid. In everyday interaction level 2 signs are located, also called
verbal signs they are processed with schematization. Exactly like the level 3 signs, so called
generalized verbal signs. In the Setting of contemplation about life, hypergeneralized field
signs occur (Level 4). These signs are no more accessible to verbal signs
What is value as a sign?
Humans invented economic relations. The value of an object is mediated by value markers.
The way of thinking is organized through economic relations. The cost of signs can be
expressed in price as meta-signs (signs upon signs), the value of costs (loans, etc.), the
affectivity of costs (and benefits) or Work and non-work (unemployment, leisure). Value
must be maintained in order to be valid. Value can be destroyed not only created (e.g. when
my perspective changed).
Value as the center of all affective rationality -> affect triumphs over reason.
Explain the unity of construction and destruction within the psyche.
As example, if someone constructs something which has value for him, it can be the goal of
someone else to destroy this, to the value of winning against the person. What is of value is
different for every person depending on the motivation for what he is intending (saving
money, constructing something, etc…).
Explain different economic relations between persons in human society.
There are different economic relations within the society. Like Selling and buying, Stealing,
Taxation, Robbing, Asking for donations or negotiating salaries. Only some of values are
expressable in terms of money. Economic relations are the catalytic condition for human lives
in society but only sometimes are they moved to the centre of value constructions and
maintenance.
unilateral, bilateral
Difference between ENVIRONMENT and UMWELT?
The Human UMWELT is socially guided and personally constructed. She is based on imagination. The UMWELT can be seen as a functional part of the environment. Human beings not only adapt to environments as these are but construct sub-parts of Environments into Umwelts (=they adapt environments to themselves) and saturate these with affective meanings in the construction process.
Explain Gefühlston and its maintenance by signs.
Every sensory experience starts from affective relating to the stimulus followed by cognitive
one. The affective relating (Gefühlston) continues after the stimulus is no longer there.
Affectivation of our lives is made possible by signs and their dynamics towards
generalization. It starts with a sensation trigger, which triggers an immediate affectivating
sensation from this there comes a Gefühlston framing for the immediate future and a
generalized encoding for the future. At the end of the chain stand the place of the sensuality
in relating with the world.
!
What is Gestaltungsprinzip? !!!!
Gestaltungsprinzip = Principle of form emergence:
All WHOLES strive towards FORM
(development of forms – by emergence and by design)
What are the major contributions of Ganzheitspsychologie to NAP?
- The whole has a genetic and functional primacy towards its parts.
- The whole is more (or different) than the sum of its parts.
- Complex qualities: “Certain relationships of independently variable composition of
consciousness form (as a relationship) characteristics, that claim the independent
variableness for themselves (as one). One calls these characteristics complex qualities
(Komplexqualitäten).
Explain affective hyper-generalization.
Affective hyper-generalization describes a feeling beyond the current experience (a.e. if you
are looking on a romantic picture). The field of X abstracted, then generalized & aftwerwards
it becomes a hyper-generalized X – which is also field like.
Art: its about what you feel – hypergeneralized, field-like, Einfühlung it relates you to the
painting. Art is there to affect you through the affectional channels not rational, not socially
neutral.
Explain Heinz Werner ́s ORTHOGENETIC PRINCIPLE.
The orthogenetic principle says: that the development involves differentiation, articulation
and hierarchical integration. Heinz Werner says that the living unit should be viewed as a
whole and from there be analyzed on lower units (schöpferische Analyse).
Explain Edmund Burke ́s notion of the sublime.
The sublime is an idea belonging to self-preservation. We often feel a connected emotion of
distress if the sublime appears. The excitement of ideas about pain and danger (something
terrible) are the source of the sublime. If we feel incapable to handle the emotion we try to
build distance to the object of terror or try to modify it to experience delight. The
imagination of something as infinity can be scary but the feeling into it can be pleasurable.
What is the CURVILINEARIZATION of the mind?
There is a linear opposition between pain and pleasure. In the feeling of the sublime the two
opposite forces transform to the pleasure of pain under catalytic conditions
(curvilinearization of the mind). One example of curvilinearization are religiously guided and
personally internalized social practices that turn physical self-harm into feeling of pleasure.
Explain the relations between the SUBLIME and the BEAUTIFUL.
Beautiful is different from sublime; sublime is accompanied by similar feeling of
fear/Ehrfurcht & when that goes away its followed by disinterest & then its beautiful (going
beyond border of stopping fearfulness & becoming mundane & the enjoying object without
linkage to fear but only linkage to beauty is disinterest because it has nothing to do with me)
beauty = creating border to infinity, because it is not relevant to your living/being, the idea of
having a sexual relationship to one of the beautiful objects is irrelevant
sublime = something is there – I kind of understand it but not completely
more layers than beauty has
beauty = Im interested but in a different way
if we only have a mundane world it gets boring so we create it ourselves, to just
experience it once
most of the ordinary life goes between sublime and mundane -> behavioral inconsistency is
systematic. The beautiful prepares us to love disinterestedly in sth., even nature itself, the
sublime prepares us to esteem sth highly even in opposition to our own (sensible) nature
interest that is horrifying but needed/disinterested
Transition from interest in sublime to interest in art/beauty
my interest in it is disinterest because I have no linkage to it
Trousers are demanded to put on to cover up – that comes from sublime objects, they are
horrifying because sexuality is shown & might have damage to my own self
In what ways does art make our minds free?
Art makes human free from being socially controlled – art threatens to hypergeneralize
beyond the sublime -> sublime prepares us to esteem sth highly even in opposition to our
own (sensible) nature we can resist by creating our personal meaning of the piece of art
you can interpret everything you want – mind is in a position where it can entertain within
the possible terms lot of different inner infinity -> thinking can go beyond the limits of the
society (cause art is overstepping boundaries and therefore in consuming the art I have the
possibility to do the same)
If you look into the painting (environment) the internalization can lead to the contemplation
of the sublime which is a self-dialogue – I like the naked sculpture but I wouldn’t want in my
home – vs. a deeply felt feeling of beauty (the sculpture is beautiful, genitals are also
beautiful) but still I don’t have it in my home -> clash of sublime & beauty
personal meaning making:
-> receivers freedom of interpretation
-> message of the sender takes a specific form, but the receiver still interprets is however it
wants, the receiver is the co-constructor of the message through Einfühlung into the
message – generalized & abstracted message
-> Thinking and feeling may be socially guided, but we can resist by creating our personal
meaning of the piece of art
Art can also express the total opposite of what is socially controlled. If you view art & place
yourself in it, you become free of your own Umwelt & enter a new one, which can trigger
new interpretations & relations to your own environment.
