FREUD

Question 1

What view did Freud put forward?

Answer 1

Religion is a human invention

Question 2

Where is this formed?

Answer 2

In the subconscious mind

Question 3

What else did he say in relation to well-being?

Answer 3

religion is something that damages human well being - religious belief should be recognised as a neurosis (form of mental illness)

Question 4

What was Freud belief?

Answer 4

Claims to never had held a belief in god, regardless of Jewish decent

Question 5

What is the Psyche?

Answer 5

Name given to the human mind

Question 6

What is the ego?

Answer 6

Conscious self, we are aware of it - likes and dislikes

Question 7

What is the Id?

Answer 7

Unconscious self, memories and feelings - repressed but can be brought up during hypnosis

Question 8

What is the Superego?

Answer 8

Driving moral force: we internalise these social rules until they become part of our personality

Question 9

Who was Freud influenced by?

Answer 9

feuerbach

Question 10

What was this influence?

Answer 10

Belief in god comes from the human mind- religion is a human construct
Doesn’t come from god

Question 11

What does Freud say?

Answer 11

Whole of religion is an illusion, wish based no evidence
Illusions are not necessarily false but based on wish rather than hard evidence

Question 12

What else does Freud say about religion?

Answer 12

Religion is a collective neurosis

Question 13

What does he mean by collective neurosis?

Answer 13

There must be reasons why people still cling to unscientific belief in God
People still follow rituals and feel guilt if fail to do this - fear consequences

Question 14

What does he think about OCD?

Answer 14

Freud thought religious rituals were similar to that of OCD - washing hands vs counting rosary beads

Question 15

What does Freud think about repetition?

Answer 15

Associated with fear and guilt

Question 16

Why else do people follow rituals?

Answer 16

Thought people performed rituals because they didn’t understand themselves

Question 17

Where are rituals derived from?

Answer 17

Repressed desires - sexual urges/greediness

Question 18

What does repression mean?

Answer 18

Mind protecting itself from trauma

Question 19

What did Freud call religion?

Answer 19

A universal obsessional neurosis - can also be collective (more than one person)

Question 20

What did neurosis have its roots in?

Answer 20

Sexuality = every child goes through phase of sexual feelings towards parents - rivalry towards other parent

Question 21

When do boys become aware of their gender ?

Answer 21

Between ages 2-5 - they want sexual relations with their mother and rid of their father (especially if breastfed or if she bed with mother)

Question 22

What is their a competition for?

Answer 22

Mothers love

Question 23

What do boys have a fear of?

Answer 23

Losing their penis as they realise not everyone has one - think is a punishment = Oedipus complex

Question 24

Why do men feel guilty?

Answer 24

Guilty about wanting to kill their father - turn to God as ‘father

Question 25

What is the female version of the Oedipus complex?

Answer 25

Th electra complex

Question 26

What is the primal horde?

Answer 26

Primitive ancestral group - dominant male killed so sons could gain access to females
Resulted in guilt expressed in totem ritual -plants or animals used to symbolise father
GENERATIONAL GUILT
Eucharist = similar to sacrifical ritual

Question 27

What did Hume say?

Answer 27

Religion developed from superstitions of primitive humanity - ensures happiness

Question 28

Why do people prescribe to religion according to wish fulfilment?

Answer 28

Source of comfort
Don’t have to face reality
Gives individuals more control = offers explanation