Lesson 5 Flashcards
Humanistic conscience
The aspect of conscience that has an intuitive knowledge of what is human and inhuman; of what makes life flourish and what destroys it.
Fromm biography
-Social psychologist, psychoanalyst, sociologist and philosopher.
-Both parents were Orthodox Jews.
-Left Germany for America after 1932 election
-People’s thinking is conditioned by economic and social background.
-Influenced by Marx and Freud.
Fromm guilt and authoritarian conscience
-Guilt, shame, fear, conscience and a sense of moral responsibility may arise out of fear of being rejected by society, simply because society is based on obedience to rules and conformity to norms.
-According to Fromm in most social systems the supreme virtue is obedience, and the supreme sin is disobedience.
-For most people, when they feel guilty, they feel afraid because they think they have been disobedient.
-They are not really troubled by a moral issue (although they think they are)- rather they are troubled because they have a disobeyed a command. They have an authoritarian conscience.
Authoritarian conscience
His first approach was that the conscience derived from a fear of displeasing authority, which led to guilt, causing a greater submission to authority.
This fear was, for Fromm, so strong that it leads people to blind, rigid thinking, not all of which is correct.
Humanistic conscience (Fromm)
-Later in his life, he asserted that all human beings have free will and the capacity and drive for self-actualisation.
-This means we all have the ability to judge and evaluate our behaviour and ourselves as people, making us our own authority figures.
Authoritarian conscience - explanation
-This comprises the laws and sanctions exercised by authorities.
-Social norms and society’s expectations become internalised and form our conscience.
-Our good conscience arises from when we please external authorities, i.e. when we’re in line with social norms and we gain acceptance from society.
-Our bad/guilty conscience arises when we fail to please authorities. This leads to fears of being deserted by the authority for disobedience and produces guilt, which weakens our power and makes us more submissive to authority.
-If people follow their authoritarian conscience unquestioningly, they may live a happy, prosperous life but have no inner contentment. This is typically referred to as self-alienation under capitalism. We are hardwired to listen to authority.
Humanistic conscience - explanation
-According to Fromm, people are able to liberate themselves from this alienation. The humanistic conscience is based on biophilia – a love of and for all life.
-An intuitive knowledge of what is human and in-human (of flourishing and destruction).
-If we listen to our humanistic conscience, it will reflect who we really are and thus we can be true to ourselves.
-a lot of the time people can’t “hear” their humanistic conscience because of the overwhelming influence of their authoritarian conscience.
-Because the humanistic conscience is repressed, we feel guilty when we fail to meet our alleged standards and potential. Instead, we try to meet the standards of others, which leads to obeying our authoritarian conscience even more.
Fromm quote
Fromm said, “We are all possessors of humanistic conscience and victims of authoritarian conscience.”
What experiment related to Fromm
Milgrams experiment
How can we reach our full potential?
Rejecting the authoritarian conscience and embracing the humanistic conscience allows us to reach our full potential as people and to free ourselves from the fear of authority.
Socially Constructed Nature of Conscience
Erich Fromm, a prominent psychologist and social theorist, believed that conscience is not an inherent, universal, or individualistic moral compass.
Instead, he argued that conscience is primarily a product of socialization and cultural influences. In other words, it is shaped by the society in which an individual is raised.
Socialization and Moral Development:
Fromm emphasized the role of socialization in the development of conscience.
During the socialization process, individuals learn the values, norms, and moral codes of their culture or society.
This process begins in the family, extends to educational institutions, and is reinforced by broader societal structures.
Cultural Relativism
Fromm’s perspective suggests that what is considered morally right or wrong can vary from one society to another, as well as over different historical periods.
This reflects the concept of cultural relativism, which means that moral standards are not fixed and can change with cultural shifts.
Escape from Freedom
In his influential work “Escape from Freedom,” Fromm discussed the concept of conscience in relation to individualism and the pursuit of freedom.
He argued that individuals may experience anxiety and alienation when they have to make their own moral choices without clear societal guidance.
To cope with this anxiety, people may conform to societal norms, adopting a “conscience” that aligns with cultural expectations.
Striving for Authenticity
Fromm believed that individuals could develop a more authentic humanistic conscience by critically reflecting on their values and beliefs, questioning societal norms, and making moral choices that are in line with their true selves.
His perspective highlights the impact of society on an individual’s moral development, emphasizing that conscience is not fixed, but is shaped by social influences.
He distinguishes between two types of conscience:
