Topic 7: Romanticism and Existentialism Flashcards
Enlightenment
a period during which Western philosophy embraced the belief that unbiased reason or the objective methods of science could reveal the principles governing the universe
once discovered, these principles could be used for the betterment of humankind
Romanticism
the philosophy that stresses the uniqueness of each person and that values irrationality much more than rationality
according to the romantic, people can and should trust their own natural impulses as guides for living
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
considered the father of modern romanticism, Rousseau believed that human nature is basically good and that the best society is one in which people subjugate their individual will to the general will
the best education occurs when education is individualized and when a student’s natural abilities and curiosity are recognized
Noble Savage
Rousseau’s term for a human not contaminated by society
such a person, he believed, would live in accordance with his or her true feelings, would not be selfish, and would not be selfish, and would live harmoniously with other humans
General Will
according to Rousseau, the innate tendency to live harmoniously with one’s fellow humans
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
believed that life is characterized by choices between opposing forces and that much about humans is forever beyond scientific understanding
Phenomenology
refers to Goethe’s assertion that meaningful whole experiences are the proper unit of analysis when studying human nature
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)
believed that the will to survive is the most powerful human motive
life is characterized by a cycle of needs and need satisfaction, and need satisfaction simply postpones death
the most people can do is to minimize the irrational forces operating within them by sublimating or repressing those forces
Will to Survive
according to Nietzsche, the basic human need to become stronger, more complete, and more superior
while satisfying the will to power, a person continually becomes something other than he or she was
Existentialism
the philosophy that examines the meaning in life and stresses the freedom that humans have to choose their own destiny
like romanticism, existentialism stresses subjective experience and the uniqueness of each individual
Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
believed that religion had becomes too rational and mechanical
he believed that a relationship with God should be an intensely personal and a highly emotional experience, like a love affair
taking the existence of God on faith makes God a living truth for a person
thus, Kierkegaard contended that truth is subjectivity
Aesthetic Stage
according to Kierkegaard, the first stage in the growth toward full personal freedom
at this stage, the person delights in many experiences but does not exercise his or her freedom
Ethical Stage
according to Kierkegaard, the second stage in the growth toward full personal freedom
at this stage, the person makes ethical decisions but uses principles developed by others as a guide in making them
Religious Stage
according to Kierkegaard, the third stage in the growth toward full personal freedom
at this stage, the person recognizes his or her freedom and choose to enter into a personal relationship with God
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900)
claimed that humans could no longer rely on religious superstition or metaphysical speculation as guides for living
instead, they must determine life’s meaning for themselves
by exercising their will to power, people can continue to grow and overcome conventional morality
the term superman described those who experimented with life and feelings and engaged in continuous self-overcoming
Apollonian Aspect of Human Nature
according to Nietzsche, the part of us that seeks order, tranquility, and predictability
Dionysian Aspect of Human Nature
according to Nietzsche, the part of us that seeks chaos, adventure and passionate experiences
Perspectivism
Nietzsche’s contention that there are no universal truths, only individual perspectives
Conviction
according to Nietzsche, beliefs that are thought to correspond to some absolute truth, and, as such, as immutable and dangerous
Opinions
according to Nietzsche, beliefs that are tentative and modifiable in light of new information and, therefore, reasonable
Will to Power
according to Schopenhauer, the powerful need to perpetuate one’s life by satisfying one’s biological needs
Supermen
the name Nietzsche gave to those individuals who have the courage to rise above conventional morality and herd conformity and to follow their own inclinations instead
the German word Ubermensch can be translated as “overman”, “higherman”, or “superman”
What were the ideals of the Enlightenment?
emotions are important, reason is limited
ideas are rooted in something other than reason
there is no average person
What is romanticism?
we are governed by things that escape the bounds of reason
we are more than reason, our ideas and experiences
emphasized the irrational components of human nature
if we want to do psychology we have to study the whole person
we are not just studying their rational capacities
follow your feelings, follow your intuition
concern for authenticity
Who was Jean-Jacques Rousseau?
the Social Contract
lived a chaotic life
What was Rousseau’s views on feelings versus reason?
Rousseau emphasized feelings in contrast to reason as the important guiding force in human nature, the best guide for human conduct is a person’s honest feelings and inclinations
ought to have a government that can help people attain their fullest potential
feelings and inclinations rather than reason take our gut feelings seriously, very important
What was the Rousseau’s idea of the noble savage?
for Rousseau, humans are basically good, born good but are made bad by societal institutions
humans are, by nature, social animals who wished to live in harmony with other humans
born with a social sense, want to live in harmony
would act in a way that benefits ourselves and others, tend to live in harmony with others
What was Rousseau’s idea of the general will?
the general will is what is best within a community; not what is believed to be the best by a group of people, basis of what is good, just, and correct for society
should be sharply distinguished from an individual’s will
live in a society where everyone is forced to act within the general will
What was Rousseau’s view on education?
dehumanize people through education; we impose a sense of what you ought to do, not in accordance with our natural will, what we want to do
suggested that education should take advantage of natural impulses rather than distort them
educational institutions should create a situation in which a child’s natural abilities and interests can be nurtured
create circumstances in which natural impulses can be actualized
schools should work with the child
What was Goethe’s idea of Bildungsroman?
psychological and moral growth over time
Goethe viewed humans as being torn by the stresses and conflicts of life
life consisted of opposing forces, love and hate, life and death, good and evil
the goal of life should be to embrace these forces rather than deny or overcome them
embrace the tensions and struggle of what it means to be human
moving from raw material towards fulfillment
What was Goethe’s theory of colors?
Goethe made important advances in science, notably in anatomy, botany, and color theory
darkness is active ingredient in color
What was Goethe’s view on phenomenology?
insisted that intact, meaningful psychological experience should be the object of study, rather than meaningless isolated sensations
was an early phenomenologist
What was Goethe’s view on evolution and plant biology?
one species could be gradually transformed into another species
outlines homologies between organs in plants
reflect transformation, shared ancestry
broad species development at macro level
Who was Arthur Schopenhauer?
quite depressive and down on life
influenced by Eastern traditions (Buddhism)
What was Schopenhauer’s idea of the will to survive?
equated Kant’s noumenal world (things in themselves in nature) with “will”, a blind force that which cannot be known
in humans, this force manifests itself in the will to survive; this will to survive causes an unending cycle of needs and need satisfaction
most human behavior is irrational
an unending series of pain due to unsatisfied need which causes us to act to satisfy the need, followed by a brief experience of satisfaction (pleasure) followed again by another need to be satisfied and on it goes
endless cycle of filling needs, the moving onto another; if we had everything we would be bored
What was Schopenhauer’s idea regarding how intelligent beings suffer the most
felt that the intelligent being suffer the most
stated “almost all our sufferings spring from having to do with other people”
intelligent people seek solitude while the common people are gregarious
for the intelligent, solitude has two advantages; can be alone with his or her own thoughts, prevents needing to deal intellectually inferior people
What were Schopenhauer’s views on sublimation and denial?
a way of looking at life is as the postponement of death
people do not cling to life because it is pleasant, rather, they cling to life because they fear death
sublimation: turning to art and philosophy, project repression into creating something, put attention into aesthetic experience to escape cycle of needs
denial: denying the needs, pursue intellectualism, void our minds, meditative state, become nothing so we aren’t driven by our needs
What was Schopenhauer’s views on the unconscious mind?
wrote of positive and negative impulses, the unconscious, repression, and resistance before Freud
these are usually our prime motivators
Who was Edward von Hartmann (1942-1906)?
could have been Freud
unconscious mind synthesizes will; instinct in action with purpose, can only be somewhat aware
physical; reflexes
psychic; mental things we aren’t aware of that motivates
absolute; underlying principal force that motivates all life
come up with constructive reasons for our actions; but may never know unconscious reason
What is existentialism?
stressed the meaning of human existence, freedom of choice, and the uniqueness of each individual
the most important aspects of humans are their personal, subjective interpretations of life and the choices they make in light of those interpretations
not just about a fear of death
concern with not having lived to potential
we are free, choice to constrain ourselves or open up
our own experiences become a guide to how we live our lives and behave
Who was Soren Kierkegaard?
tortured figure, mark on philosophy and humanistic psychology
distrustful of religion as an institution: more psychological or as a personal religion
What was Kierkegaard’s view of the self?
the self is not something we are born with involves bringing together two factors: the infinite and the finite
What was Kierkegaard’s view of the infinite and the finite?
saw humans as a synthesis of opposing tendencies
the most important of these opposing tendencies is that between the infinite and the finite
What was Kierkegaard’s view of the infinite?
the expanding factor: our capacity to create new things, recognize possible selves
can lose yourself in infinite: never committing to anything or any identity, shifting movement between different positions that don’t reflect who one really is, can’t become a self because no commitment
What was Kierkegaard’s view of the finite?
limiting factor: actuality, my reality as a person in the world at this moment
can lose yourself finite: can’t imagine any other possibilities, sometimes we become dependent on relationships, give up responsibility of determining who we are and rely on other to tell us what to do, become absorbed when everything is set in advance
What was Kierkegaard’s anxiety and dread?
can’t look to others to determine identity
anxiety happens when we realize we are free to choose our lives, and we have to make these decisions alone with no other help
because we are free we are disoriented
not pathologically anxiety, existential anxiety –> stems from trying to become a self
fear of responsibility
ultimate freedom means ultimate responsibility
dread: can’t blame other people for our choices
What were Kierkegaard’s views on despair?
despair is, for Kierkegaard, a sort of “sickness” stemming from a fundamental misunderstanding of who we are as humans
don’t become a self, anxiety is too much
give responsibility to who we are to other people
Kierkegaard identifies several forms of despair: unconscious despair, and conscious despair
What was Kierkegaard’s idea of unconscious despair?
for Kierkegaard, despair may be unconscious in some people, and thereby may remain unacknowledged or unconfronted
people in despair may be happy, not aware of despair
worst situation; don’t realize there is a problem so they are unable to address it
How did Kierkegaard define “the sensualist” in unconscious despair?
pure hedonist, live for the moment, inarticulate, happiness is based on external references, things outside them
How did Kierkegaard define “the system-builder” in unconscious despair?
philosopher, developing abstract systems to escape their lives, avoid having to deal with ones life
What was Kierkegaard’s idea of conscious despair?
conscious despair is, for Kierkegaard, better than unconscious despair as it is more immediate and pressing, and thus closer to being addressed and eradicated
despair of weakness and despair of defiance
How did Kierkegaard define despair of weakness?
immediate man: identity is external, the activist, all conflict goes into a project and identity becomes wrapped in project, cause of despair is external and not from themselves, prevents them from introspection
cynic: recognizes weakness, put despair over despair, can’t experience anything else, perpetual victim
How did Kierkegaard define despair of defiance?
demonic despair: recognizes weakness, but hardens, reveal in their own suffering, see it as an identity marker, everything becomes caught up in one’s own failures
How did Kierkegaard define facts?
something we get from science, will not help us navigate to become the self, just help us live
How did Kierkegaard define truth?
what we express, the commitments we make to others, act out our truths, one’s we live and experience
truth is always what a person believes privately and emotionally
truth cannot be taught logically, truth must be experienced
truth is subjectivity, your subjectivity
What were Kierkegaard’s three spheres of existence?
reflect different ways of confronting despair
different modes of living to relieve despair
What was Kierkegaard’s idea of the Mass-Man?
the Mass-Man lives their lives according to cultural conventions
apart of the herd, no better than a herd animal
give up responsibility of how to live
live lives as mimicries of other
“utter failures of human beings”
What was Kierkegaard’s idea of the aesthetic sphere?
people are open to many types of experiences, and do not recognize their ability to choose
live on a hedonistic level; in terms of the pursuit of pleasure
choose not to make a commitment to one identity, don’t want to obscure freedom
looking for outlets, things that bring pleasure in animalistic ways
lead boring and eventful lives
stylize seeking pleasure
emptiness, not getting all the way there
still not cohesive to achieving the self
What was Kierkegaard’s idea of the ethical sphere?
people accept responsibility for making choices but use as their guide ethical principles established by others
person recognizes they need to find an identity
self aware and socially aware
aware of norms but don’t blindly follow them
bring their own identity
participate in society in a way that matches who they are
usually good and successful people
makes ethical decisions
What is the problem with people in the ethical sphere?
they are still not a self
because they live according to social norms, they could be stable but living in a society that is flawed and unstable
can’t shape personality on societal norms because you don’t know if they are good or bad
self is still dependent on social identities
rooted in finite things that could be taken away
What was Kierkegaard’s idea of the religious sphere?
people recognize and accept their freedom and have a personal relationship with God; the nature of the relationship is personal
people at this stage see possibilities in life that usually run contrary to convention and tend to nonconformists
relate ourselves to transcendent source and become the self
when they enter the stage, they are mad at the world
What was Kierkegaard’s idea of the knight of infinite resignation?
the knight of infinite resignation gives up all worldly things
become detached and indifferent to the finite
movement of infinity
makes a person immune to the loss of finite things
What was Kierkegaard’s idea of the knight of faith?
the knight of faith engages in a double movement; movement of infinity and movement of finitude
are not operating on logic or reason; faith trumps reason
having ultimate faith that what you renounce will be regained in your life, hopes and dreams will be attained, look like everyone else
live in the world but are not dependent on it
What was Kierkegaard’s idea of the leap of faith?
distinction between faith and reason
faith is a great risk because there cannot be any “objective certainty” in God’s existence
cannot come to faith through reason, cannot be taught
faith is rooted in uncertainty
faith is not an epistemological attainment
What was Kierkegaard’s view on religion?
Kierkegaard was an outspoken critic of organized religion and believed the most meaningful relationship with God was one that was personal and not dictated by the church
institutions turned religion into a matter of reason
most Christians pray reflexively, no faith, just understanding they believe in something
What was Kierkegaard’s view on God?
for Kierkegaard, an individual’s relationship with God is a love affair
the meaning of the word of God is not denotative but emotional
what the Bible means to you is what it means
Who was Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche?
problematic in how his life influenced philosophy
Who was Wilhelm Dilthey?
opposition to positivism, anti-positivist
against natural sciences being a frame for psych, said it misguided study
instead, study the individuals lived experience
historical consciousness at core of each person
focus on psych on individual consciousness
What were the two aspects of life that Nietzsche proposed?
Apollonian aspect and Dionysian aspect
balance these aspects; avoid negatives on both sides
What was Nietzsche’s idea of the Apollonian aspect of human nature?
rational side
desire for tranquility, predictability and orderliness
What was Nietzsche’s idea of the Dionysian aspect of human nature?
irrational side
attraction to creative chaos and to passionate, dynamic, experiences
How did Nietzsche’s views relate to psychology?
we are free, so we are capable of molding our personality in more or less optimal ways
he believed the Western philosophy had emphasized the intellect and minimized the human passions
result was lifeless rationalism
urged a fusion of the two aspects; not a totally irrational, passionate life but a life of reasonable passion
Dionysian impulses need to modified by Apollonian to be socially acceptable
What was Nietzsche’s idea of the death of God?
believed that because of human actions, we had, in essence made God “dead” (“we” is modern society)
philosophers and scientists who killed God took purpose from the universe and stripped humans of any special place in the world
perspectivism: no truth, only different perspectives of the world
What was Nietzsche’s view on conviction?
convictions are thought to reflect truth, but cause fanaticism
opinions are tentative, challengeable, and easily modified in light of new information
What was Nietzsche’s idea of the will to power?
desire to gain mastery over who we are, and our destiny
allow us to satisfy instincts in a healthy way
related to understanding of goodness and badness
all people have a will to power
to control one’s life, tendency to gain mastery over one’s self and one’s destiny
know thyself, go inward, reflect our lives; develop a sense of morality within us
we discover at the core a will to power
What was Nietzsche’s view of Supermen?
all people have a will to power; to control one’s life, tendency to gain mastery over one’s self and one’s destiny
trying to attain fullness or potential; push up against convention, become Ubermench when we free ourselves of convention
to fix society, promote what they need to become Ubermench
should find avenues to healthily deal and express negative emotions
How was Nietzsche misunderstood throughout history?
the notion of supermen was misused by the Nazi party who claimed that the German people were these supermen based on their ethnic heritage
What is existentialist psychology?
for both men, Hegelian philosophy was a favorite target, and both men preached reliance on direct, personal experience
the major difference between the two was that Kierkegaard accepted the existence of God, whereas for Nietzsche God did not exist
we are responsible for ourselves; can’t rely on others to think for us
